If you can’t pay rent
What should you do if you can't pay rent
What to do if you have received a letter
What will happen if I can't pay?
What you can expect (service standards)
What to do if you have received a letter
What will happen if I can't pay?
What you can expect (service standards)
Talk to your Neighbourhood Housing Team. Anyone can have money trouble from time to time. So, if you are having difficulty paying your rent, let us know immediately. We will do our best to help you.
We can also arrange for you to receive free debt advice to help you manage your finances.
If you know you have a rent payment problem, or you have received a letter from us about your rent, you should contact your Neighbourhood Office immediately. A member of your Neighbourhood Housing Team will show you an up-to-date statement of your recent rent payments, discuss your arrears with you and give you advice including how to apply for benefits.
If necessary we may put you in touch with another organisation that can give you specialist advice.
If you are unable to pay the amount you owe in full we can enter into an agreement with you on how you will pay it off gradually. This will involve paying an extra amount in your rent over a period of time until the debt is paid off.
Problems paying rent
We aim to provide a range of services to help tenants pay their rent on time. If you are having problems paying your rent, you need to contact us as quickly as possible. If rent is not paid on time, a tenant’s home may be at risk.
Our approach is to…
- Write to you if you fail to pay rent and also try to make personal contact, to tell you how much you owe and to request payment
- Provide information on what to do and who to contact, to ensure all options are explored to enable a tenant to repay rent debt
- Try to reach an acceptable arrangement to clear any rent arrears, based on your income
- Make contact in writing, offer an appointment to discuss arrears and try to reach an instalment agreement, before starting legal action
- Make contact with a tenant at every stage of the arrears procedure, advising of the amount owed and the action to be taken
- Seek possession on rent arrears only as a last resort and once all other reasonable steps have been taken
- Offer vulnerable tenants, in arrears, a referral to the Tenancy Support Service, for additional help and support
Our Service standards…
- We will advise tenants, in writing, within two weeks of the rent account going into arrears
If you have any queries you can contact your Neighbourhood Housing Office.