Talk to us
If you're finding it difficult to keep up with your rent payments, let us know. Call our Income Team on 020 7364 5015. We will talk you through your options and give you clear advice to help you get back on track with your payments.
If you don’t let us know, or you don't keep to an agreement to pay the debt, we will take legal action.
When this happens:
- You may be liable for court costs
- This may result in a county court judgment against your name, which will affect your ability to get credit or a loan. (A county court judgment will remain against your name indefinitely.)
- If you are evicted for rent arrears, other local authorities may have no obligation to rehouse you - even if you have a family
Owing rent is more serious than you think. It could prevent you from:
- Transferring to another home
- Swapping your home with another tenant
- Buying your home
- Renting a garage, car space or store shed
Eviction
We will always work with you to help you sort out any tenancy or rent arrears problem.But if you don't contact us or you don't keep to an agreement to pay the debt, we may take legal action and ask the courts to take back the property. If you are evicted for rent arrears, other local authorities may have no obligation to re-house you even if you have a family.
The court process
- Once we have exhausted all other courses of action we will apply to court to take the property back
- You will then receive a summons to attend a court hearing (called ‘hearings in possession proceedings’)
- If you receive a summons, you may get free legal representation through certain schemes
- The court may decide to issue you with a ‘possession order’. This has the things you must do (called 'terms and conditions') to avoid being evicted
- If you are facing a possession order, you should seek independent legal advice. You can contact a solicitor directly, or contact a local advice agency for free advice
- If you do not do the things the possession order says, the court will issue a ‘warrant of possession’ to you. This means that we have the legal authority to evict you. The court will tell you the date and time that the bailiff will arrive to evict you
- You may apply for the warrant of possession to be suspended. You can only do this at the court, not Tower Hamlets Homes, or the council. The court will consider your case again, but may not agree to alter the decision
Can an eviction be stopped?
The earlier you take action or get advice the better. We will always try to help you to remain in your home, but it is more difficult to make agreements once eviction proceedings have begun. You can apply for the warrant of possession to be suspended. This application can only be made to the court.
You can also get free advice from local advice agencies.
Getting court representation
Tower Hamlets Homes does not offer this service. You may be able to get free legal help in court if you rent or own your home and have a summons because you have arrears.
What help is available?
You can get last minute help for homeowners and tenants facing losing their home such as below:
- Some deal with either mortgage or rent arrears. Some also give help with other matters, e.g. debt problems that are not to housing
- Most duty advisers attend court on a rota basis. Only a few have a permanent or daily presence at court
- Some have advisers from advice agencies others from local solicitors' firms.
For more information, please contact:
Duty Solicitor
Stratford Housing Centre
389-397 Stratford High Street
Stratford,
London
E15 4SB
Duty Solicitor
Clerkenwell and Shoreditch County Court
The Gee Street Courthouse
29 - 41 Gee Street
London