Home

Viewing options:

Your rent and service charges

What your rent pays for

Your rent pays for the right to live in your home and the housing services we provide to you such as repairs, maintenance, improvements, advice, support etc.

If you live in a flat you may also be required to pay a service charge to cover the cost of communal heating, lighting and other services. You will be advised of any service charges when you sign your agreement

If you don't pay your rent

One of the most important conditions of your tenancy agreement is that you pay your rent and that you pay it on time.

We have a firm but fair policy for collecting rent which ensures that tenants who pay their rent should not have to subsidise those who don't.  We always take action to recover missed payments.

We check your rent account every week to make sure your rent is paid. If you miss a payment we will contact you and ask you to make an agreement to pay back the arrears you owe.

If you continue to miss payments or do not keep to an agreement to pay off your rent arrears we will take firm and decisive action against you.

This may include court action (which means you won't be able to get credit in shops) and eviction (which means you will lose your home).

Setting Your rent

Each year the Council review your rent to decide how much money we need to provide housing services to you in the following year  - this helps us decide how much your rent will increase. We will give you at least two weeks notice in writing when your rent is due to change.

Recently, Central Government has introduced a new approach to setting rents so that Housing Associations and Councils will have similar levels of rent for similar properties across the country. The actual level of the rents is determined by how much the Council needs to spend on services to its tenants. You can find more information about the Government's policy on fair and affordable rents from the Communities and Local Government Website.

YOUR HOME IS AT RISK IF YOU DON'T PAY YOUR RENT

If you have money problems

If you have money problems and can't pay your rent you must call the Rents Team straight away.
We can:
  • look at your income and outgoings with you and suggest ways to help you make better use of your money
  • give you advice about whether you qualify for Housing Benefit  to help towards your rent - we can also help you with forms and advice you about other Welfare Benefits which you may be eligible for.
  • agree a sensible plan for you to pay us back the rent you owe.
  • put you in touch with other organisations who can help
 

General information