Frequently asked questions about rent arrears
What causes rent arrears?
Rent arrears are caused by:
- paying late
- paying too little
- missing payments
What you MUST do if you owe rent
Pay the rent arrears as quickly as possible, ideally in one
payment, to clear the whole amount
If you can't do this, please contact us. You will be able to
talk to an arrears officer, who will give you advice and try to
help find a way to solve the problem. If you do have problems, it
is important to keep us informed.
You may be able to get help with your rent through a claim for
housing benefit - see information on claiming housing benefit.
You can also get advice from a local advice agency, and we can
make an appointment for you with the Citizens Advice Bureau
for independent advice.
NEVER ignore the problem – ignoring the problem
will not make it go away. Ignoring your arrears may result in you
facing legal action, court costs or even losing your home.
NEVER ignore any
letters from us. Please contact us as soon as possible to
talk to an arrears officer, who will work with you to help find a
way to solve the problem.
What will happen if you don't
clear your arrears?
We will contact you to discuss your arrears, arrange payment and
sort out any other problems.
We will ask you to pay the arrears in one lump
sum or ask you to sign an agreement to make realistic and
affordable payments to clear your arrears over a short period of
time
If this action is not successful we will serve a ‘notice of
seeking possession’ or a notice of possession proceedings'. These
are legal notices telling you that we intend to take legal
action if you do not pay your arrears.
If this is still not successful, we will then apply to court to
have you evicted.
Read more about Evictions>
What should you do if you think
there is a mistake on your rent account?
If you think there has been a mistake on your
rent account, you should contact us.
We will be able to investigate and sort out
any problems.
If a payment made by you is not showing on
your account, you will need to bring (or send) your receipt to the
office so we can make sure that the correct amount is put onto your
rent account.
back to
top
What should you do if you are in
arrears, but waiting for housing benefit to be paid?
If you are waiting for housing benefit to be paid, you should
contact us.
Housing benefit claims should be sorted out within four weeks of
the housing benefit team receiving your claim form
We may be able to tell you whether you will be able to
get housing benefit.
We will not usually take legal action against you if we know you
are waiting for a claim to be sorted out, and you are making
payments.
Remember that housing benefit does not pay for water rates (or
charges for garages, car spaces, store sheds or home insurance),
even if it is included in your rent - you will still have to pay
these charges yourself. See information on claiming housing
benefit.
What happens if my joint tenant leaves the property?
As joint tenants, you are both responsible for your home
and for the payment of rent.
If one of you leaves your home, the remaining person must
pay the full rent.
If this happens, you should contact your local housing office.
If you receive housing benefit, you should also tell the councils
housing benefits team.
What if I have rent arrears when I move out?
If there is at the end of a tenancy, the council will continue
to pursue these.
If you are a former tenant who owes arrears, it is
important that you contact the former tenant arrears team to
discuss these issues.
If clearing the debt in a single payment is not possible, we
could negotiate repayment by instalments.
As a last resort, we will summons the former tenant to court to
get an ‘order for payment’. The addition of court costs makes this
an expensive option for the former tenant.
If you have a question about owing rent or need further
help, please use our on-line enquiry form or, get in touch
with your rent arrears team.
Useful Links
Housing benefit - contact the housing benefit section (links to
Tower Hamlets council's website)
Advice agencies - contact numbers for local advice agencies