Arrears

What if I have problems paying?

If you have money troubles, temporary or permanent, contact your Area Housing Office. See What to Do below. We will do everything we can to help you continue to pay your rent and to catch up on your outstanding payments. We can work out a regular repayment agreement based on how much you can afford to pay. Paying a small amount off your arrears every week is better than paying nothing at all. However, we will not hesitate to take action if you make no attempt to contact us and you continue not to pay. Don't risk losing your home. Contact us now. See If You Do Not Pay below.

What will happen if I continue not paying?

If you continue to be in arrears we will issue you with a 'Notice of Seeking Possession'. If you do not try to repay your debt, we will apply to the Court to make you leave your home. See If You Do Not Pay below.

I think the arrears on my account are wrong. What can I do?

If you think the arrears on your account are wrong, please contact us. We will check the account and provide you with a copy of our records. If the arrears are wrong, the account will be adjusted. If they are correct, we will explain to you how the arrears have occurred.

I am in arrears because my Housing Benefit has not been paid. What can I do?

You are responsible for your Housing Benefit claim. If your Housing Benefit has not been paid we can still take legal action against you. You need to contact the Housing Benefits Office to find out when payment will be made. Contact us or the Housing Benefits Office.

Is there any help I can get with my arrears?

Your Area Housing Office can ask the Benefits Agency (DSS) to make a deduction from your benefit to pay off some of your rent and service charges arrears. The Benefits Agency (DSS) will decide if this is possible.

What to Do

Anyone can have money troubles from time to time. If you are having difficulty paying your rent, you must let us know immediately. We will do our best to help you.

If you know you have a payment problem, or you have received an arrears letter from us, you should contact your Area Housing Office. A member of staff will discuss your arrears with you, and will give you advice or refer you to a specialist money adviser eg Citizens Advice Bureau.

If you are unable to pay the full amount you owe, we can enter into an agreement with you to pay it off. This will involve paying an extra amount in your weekly rent over a period of time until the debt is paid off.

If you have not applied for Housing Benefit you should apply immediately. If you only receive some Housing Benefit and your circumstances have changed you can apply to be reassessed.

If you are joint tenants you should remember that each member of the joint tenancy is responsible for making sure that the full rent is paid.

Council Tax arrears are handled separately by the Council Tax Office.

If You Do Not Pay You Could Lose Your Home

We will take legal action against you if you do not keep to a repayment agreement you have made with us and you continue to be in arrears with your rent. If you are joint tenants we can take this action against either or both of you.

If you fail to pay your rent, we will serve you with a 'Notice of Seeking Possession'. At this stage you must contact us again. The sooner you do this the less likely it is that we will take you to court.

If you make no attempt to clear or reduce your arrears, we will apply to the County Court for a 'Possession Order'.

If we go to court:

you will have to pay for the costs of going to Court
you may have to leave your home
you will still have to pay your debt even if you leave
you may be considered to be intentionally homeless and, as a result, may not be re-housed by any other council or housing association if you apply to them. See also Breach of Tenancy in TENANCY AGREEMENT.

Your Enquiry | What to Do | If You Do Not Pay You Could Lose your Home

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ARREARS