Rent arrears
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What should I do if I have difficulty paying my rent?
Get in touch
Contact the Housing Income Management Team in complete confidence as soon as possible. We are here to help and the earlier you contact us the easier it will be for us to help you.If you do get into arrears we will try to negotiate an agreement to help you pay off the arrears without incurring other debts. We can also refer you for specialist advice to make sure you are getting all the benefit and tax credits you are entitled to, or to help you if you have high levels of debt and just can’t cope.
Action you can take to avoid getting into arrears
- If you can, make a one-off payment to clear your arrears completely
- Ensure that you make your payments regularly. If you work and don’t get paid weekly we can accept fortnightly or monthly payments but these must be made in advance.
- Offer a repayment arrangement. Download and complete the Repayment_arrangement_form [PDF 67kb] to give us more details about your current circumstances.
- If you have agreed a repayment plan but have difficulty making a payment, contact the Housing Income Management Team immediately to avoid further action being taken.
- Seek independent financial advice about any debts you may have
- Visit www.citizensadvice.org.uk/brightonhovecab or ring them on 0845 120 3710
- Visit www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk
- Visit www.credit-union.org.uk
- Check out the housing and council tax benefit calculator to see if you qualify for help with your rent
- Register for our Housing Customer Online system so you can access your rent and other accounts 24/7 and keep an eye on what you owe and the payments that you have made. You can also make an offer of repayment if you are in arrears.
Remember, the Housing Income Management Team is here to help you, so if you're having trouble clearing your arrears, contact the team to agree a repayment plan as soon as possible.
What will happen if I don’t pay my rent?
If you don’t pay your rent and fail to get in touch with the Housing Income Management Team, we will make every attempt to contact you and help you with any difficulties that might be stopping you from making a payment. However, if you won’t work with us then we will serve a Notice of Seeking Possession on you. This is the first stage of legal proceedings, which may result in you losing your home.
We will continue to try and help you but if you do not pay your rent, or if you continually fail to keep to a repayment plan to clear any arrears, you may end up being evicted from your home.
If you are having difficulty, contact the Housing Income Management Team immediately.
Rent Arrears and Associated Debt Recovery Policy
View or download Brighton & Hove City Council’s Rent Arrears and Associated Debt Policy [PDF 82kb].
Associated debts might include garage and car parking rent, Housing Benefit overpayments, court costs, recharges, Supporting People charges or former tenant debts.
Please also see the council's Corporate Debt Recovery & Collection Policy.