Struggling To Pay Your Rent
We’re Here to Help
We understand that budgeting on a low income can be a challenge and that sometimes changes in circumstances can cause financial difficulties. We aim to treat anyone experiencing financial difficulties sympathetically and fairly.
If you are struggling to pay your rent, please contact us as soon as possible. The sooner we know, the sooner we can help. We will work with you to find a solution.
What Should I Do if I’m Having Financial Difficulties?
- Contact us. We’ll do all we can to help you. The sooner we know about any problems, the easier it is for us to help you
- Don’t ignore the problem. It won’t just go away
- Don’t jump into high cost credit. Consider other options like your local Credit Union
(click here for more information) - If you think you may be entitled to housing benefit, apply. Give all the information needed to assess your claim, or your payment could be delayed
- Get a receipt for completed forms or letters you have completed, especially about your Housing Benefit claim
- Keep us up to date with information about your benefit claims
- If you have made a claim for Universal Credit, don’t forget to add in your rent to claim Housing Costs
- If you are behind on your rent, make an agreement with us to pay off any arrears at a rate you can afford, and stick to it
Get independent advice
What Happens if I’m in Rent Arrears?
We take rent arrears very seriously, so if you fall behind with rent, we will take prompt, helpful but firm action. We will give you as much help as possible to sort out the problem.
We will ask you to clear your arrears straight away. If for some reason this isn’t possible, we will agree on repayments that take into account your income and commitments each week or month. This agreement will be confirmed in writing. As long as you keep to the agreement, we won’t take any further action.
We can also put you in touch with agencies that specialise in debt advice. They give advice on benefits and other ways of increasing income or reducing outgoings.