Paying Your Rent - I'm having problems paying my rent, what should I do?
If you are facing difficulty with paying your rent you must:
Contact your Revenue Officer immediately. Please explain the problems you are facing. It is very important that you seek help before the debt gets too large. You will be asked to either clear the rent arrears or reach an agreement to pay them off gradually.
Christian Action Housing will:
Do all we can to help you if you are having genuine difficulties. Your Revenue Officer will offer advice and assistance.
Discuss with you the best way to clear any debt. This may be an arrangement to gradually pay off the debt if you cannot pay it all at once. We realise that it can be very difficult to quickly pay off the amount you owe once you have fallen behind with your rent.
Encourage you to sign a written repayment agreement.
Consider asking the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP) to make regular small deductions from your benefit payments to gradually reduce your arrears. If this happens the DWP pay a standard amount into your rent account every month.
Take legal action against tenants who do not pay their rent.
Follow the arrears procedure if you do not reach an agreement with us or your arrears continue to rise.
Refer you to Debt Smart which is a joint partnership between Christian Action Housing and the Citizens Advice Bureau. They can offer you free, confidential debt counselling and financial management advice.
Please remember we are here to help.
Keeping a clear rent account.
There are very good reasons why you should keep a clear rent account.
Failure to pay your rent on time is a serious breach of your Tenancy Agreement. Christian Action Housing may take legal action and you may lose your home.
It can affect your credit rating. If you are in rent arrears or have been in arrears in the past you may be refused a mortgage or other loan.
Owing rent may prevent you from getting a transfer or mutual exchange.
You will not be able to apply for the Homebuy Scheme if your account is currently in arrears or has been in the last 12 months.
If we take court action against you, you are likely to pay all the costs of the action. If a case goes to court, the costs are normally more than £150. You cannot get help with these costs from the DWP.
If you are evicted for serious rent arrears you will find it very difficult getting somewhere to live. The local council is likely to consider you to be intentionally homeless and will not rehouse you.