Dealing with rent arrears

If you know you will have a problem paying your rent, please contact the Income Team immediately on 0121 322 7344. Below is some useful information about what you should do if you think you will have a problem paying your rent.

What to do if you are having problems paying your rent

Money Rent is a priority debt. If you do not pay your rent or make arrangements with us to clear any arrears, you could lose your home.

However the last thing that we want to do is evict you from your home. If you are having difficulties meeting your rent payments, remember that we are here to help and advise you. It is important that you contact the Income Team immediately if you are struggling to pay your rent.

You can see a member of the Income Team to discuss the problems you are having with your rent payments. Your Income Officer will arrange for you to pay what you owe in regular manageable amounts. They will take into account how much money you owe and how much money you have coming into the house after you have paid priority bills.

If coping with daily living expenses is causing you problems, please visit our Money Advice pages.

It is important that you get help as soon as possible in order to avoid getting too far behind with your payments. Do not ignore any of the letters that we send you because the sooner you get in touch the easier it will be for us to help you.

What will happen if you do not pay your rent?

Ultimately, if you do not pay your rent you could lose your home.

There are a number of steps that we can take before an eviction takes place. If you have not made agreed arrangements with the us to pay your rent by the end of this process, you are likely to be evicted. The stages in this process are set out below:

Stage 1
If you miss a rent payment or are paying less than you should the Income Team will contact you to ask you to make up the payments. If after the first reminder you do not pay your arrears or your arrears continue to rise, you will be contacted again and asked to pay your arrears or contact your Income Officer.

Stage 2
If your arrears remain unpaid you will receive a Notice of Seeking Possession or a Notice to Quit. This is a formal notice informing you that we intend to take you to Court.

Stage 3
At any time between four weeks and one year after sending a Notice Of Seeking Possession or a Notice To Quit, we can issue a summons for you to attend Court. Always make sure you attend court and try to get representation.

Stage 4
Application to the Courts. The Court will hold a hearing to consider your case. You will usually be allowed to remain in your home as long as pay off your arrears at a rate that the Court considers appropriate. You will be liable for all the court costs incurred.

Stage 5
If you do not keep to the arrangements made by the Court Order, we will apply for a 'Warrant' to evict you from your home. This is a last resort taken when all previous attempts to recover arrears have failed. You will be notified of the date of the eviction.

Stage 6
The Bailiffs will call to evict you. If you are evicted you are likely to be deemed 'intentionally homeless' which means that you may have difficulty finding somewhere else to live.

Last modified 23/09/11