Paying your rent

Your permanent rented tenancy requires you to pay your rent, including any service charge, regularly and on time.

Your tenancy agreement will tell you how much your rent is at the start of your tenancy. This figure will change as we review your rent each year.

When to pay

You must pay your rent each week for the week ahead. If you prefer, you can pay fortnightly (ever two weeks) or monthly, but you must pay in advance for the fortnight or month ahead.

It is your responsibility to make sure that your rent is paid regularly and on time. Joint tenants are jointly and equally responsible for paying all the rent.

Find out how we set your rent and charges and ways to pay your rent.

Check your statement

We will send you a statement of what you have paid four times a year. You should check this statement against your own record of payments and raise any questions with your Housing Officer.

If you have difficulties paying your rent

Your home is at risk if you do not pay your rent or service charge on time.

If you are experiencing difficulties paying your rent, please tell us and we will do everything we can to help you. Please contact your Housing Officer who will be able to:

  • offer advice
  • help you claim any benefits you might be entitled to
  • help you sort out a problem with your benefits.

If you have rent arrears (missed payments) and cannot pay them straight away, you may be able to make an arrangement to pay them over a period of time.

If you do not pay your rent

If you do not pay your rent or if you fail to keep to an arrangement to pay your arrears, we will take legal action, which could result in you losing your home.

Falling behind with your rent payments may also lead to the following problems:

  • A court order can affect your credit rating and you may not be able to borrow money.
  • You will have to pay the cost of any court hearing.
  • We will not usually transfer a tenant who has rent arrears.
  • We will not allow any mutual exchange to go ahead until you have paid the arrears.
  • If you lose your home your local council may refuse to re-house you on the grounds that you have made yourself 'intentionally homeless'.
  • Banks, building societies or other lending agencies can ask us for references on your payments and a poor reference may mean you cannot get a mortgage or other loan.

More information

For more information about rent and service charge payments, or to discuss a problem with your payments, please contact your Housing Officer.