RENTS for Ceredigion County Council’s county farms could rise after the authority launched a review into rent levels.

But there has been criticism of the authority, with one insider claiming the authority had tried to avoid regulations on giving county farm tenants 12 months notice of a rent increase and warning that many tenants could not afford an increase in rent with farmers’s income being hit in recent years.

The council has said it wants to review rents to increase the amount tenants would pay to the authority for the use of the county farm estates, although a spokesperson said that needed to be “fair and appropriate”.

However, a former councillor, who has asked not to be named, has said his discussions with a farm estate tenant had raised concerns over the process the council was following and the ability of tenants to pay increased rents.

He said: “Letters have gone out to tenants saying they’re reviewing the rents. One of the tenants I have spoken to has taken it up with a solicitor. The regulations say they can only raise the rent every three years and the tenant went to see a solicitor who said that it’s not legal and they can’t do this. They also need to give 12 months notice."

However, a council spokesperson insisted the authority had followed regulations and said increasing costs would cover costs incurred by the council.

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