Rent arrears in a housing association or council home
Talk to your landlord about rent
Late or missed rent payments put you at risk of eviction.
If you owe rent, it's called having rent arrears.
You can usually stay in your home if you:
start paying your full rent
agree a repayment plan for arrears
It's best to set up a repayment plan as soon as you can.
But you can talk to your landlord at any time if you're being evicted.
The council or housing association must help if you ask for support.
You have a good chance of keeping your home if you take action now.
Video: Talking to your landlord about rent arrears
Video transcript
A lot of people who've fallen behind with their rent are really worried about speaking to their landlord if they've missed a rent payment.
But one of the first things I tell people when they come to me for help is to contact the landlord straight away to make sure they know what you're doing to try and sort things out.
If you don't, they might think you're ignoring the problem.
Tell the landlord:
why you missed a rent payment
what you're doing to try and sort things out - like claiming benefits, getting debt advice or money help
any important changes that affect your finances - like starting a new job, or getting a discretionary housing payment from the council
when you'll be back in touch with a plan to repay your arrears, or what you can afford to repay each month
Don't be tempted to agree to repayments that you can't afford.
If you can't make the payments, it could make things worse.
Keep any messages, emails or copies of letters you send to your landlord, so you can keep track of what you told them.
Get debt and legal advice to help you sort out repayment plans, increase your income, deal with your landlord and check notices if you're asked to leave.
Shelter adviser Hannah talks about how important it is to tell your landlord how you plan to manage rent arrears.
[Video length: 01:11]
Your landlord should try to contact you
The council or housing association might phone you or send an email, text or letter.
They will want to talk about:
how much rent you owe
why you have missed payments
how you can pay the arrears off
benefits to help with your rent
They must try to contact you before they give you a legal notice.
Do not ignore missed calls or texts from your landlord.
Call back as soon as you can.
Check your post and emails
Your council or housing association could:
write to you about rent arrears
give you a legal notice if they want to start court action
Ask your landlord about anything you do not understand.
You can ask for information in another language or format, such as large print.
Pay any service charges
Your tenancy agreement might say you have to pay a service charge.
This could be part of your rent. Or you might have to pay it as an extra charge.
Universal credit (UC) or housing benefit can cover some service charges.
But these benefits do not cover charges for:
energy or water inside your home
individual emergency alarm systems
wardens, caretakers or tenancy support
Make sure you pay these charges if your agreement says you have to.
Service charge arrears can count as rent arrears and put you at risk of eviction.
Find out more about service charges for council and housing association tenants.
Tell your landlord about money problems
Ask for help if you have problems with UC or housing benefit.
Let your landlord know if, for example:
you lose your job or your hours go down
you're off sick, disabled or have health problems
Social landlords know that people have problems with the cost of living. They should help you to get money advice or sort out benefit problems.
Letter templates to help you
Social landlords should only evict tenants with rent arrears as a last resort.
You can use these letters at any time but it's best to speak to your landlord early.
If you agree a rent repayment plan
Your landlord should not evict you if you keep to a repayment plan.
Keep a record of what you agree and the payments you make.
Let your council or housing association know if you cannot make a payment.
If you break a rent repayment plan
Your landlord should warn you before starting court action to evict you. They should give you a time limit to get back on track with payments.
Get free advice
Advice centres and charities give free advice to tenants with rent problems.
Find out where to get:
Last updated: 26 November 2024
