Rent arrears in a private tenancy
Speak to family or friends
You could get help and support from family or friends.
If you can speak to someone you trust, they could help you to:
speak to your landlord
sort out money problems
get debt and benefits advice
get legal advice if you get a notice
pay off some of your arrears
Get debt advice as soon as you miss a rent payment, or if you think you might miss one.
Money help or loans from family or friends
Make sure you agree what will happen if a family member or friend says they can pay off your rent arrears.
Decide together:
if you need to pay them back
how much you can afford to repay them each week or month
the amounts and dates you will pay them back
You need to pay rent, bills and council tax before repaying money to family or friends.
If you're experiencing abuse or control
Sometimes people cannot pay rent because they are in or have left an abusive relationship.
Domestic abuse is not always physical violence. Other types of abusive or controlling behaviour from a partner, ex partner or relative can be domestic abuse.
Find out where to get help if you experience domestic abuse.
Economic abuse often happens alongside other types of domestic abuse. It is when a partner, ex partner or family member controls your money, spending or ability to earn money.
For example, by stopping you from working or taking your wages.
The surviving economic abuse website has more advice and support.
Your benefits if other adults live with you
You might get less benefits to help with rent if other adults live with you.
This is because benefit rules say most adults who live with you should pay towards your housing costs. Some people are not expected to pay anything.
When money is taken off your benefit for this reason it's called a 'non dependant deduction' or 'housing costs contribution'.
Money is taken from your benefit even if your relative or friend does not pay you anything.
You lose £91.47 a month from your UC housing element for each adult who is expected to pay towards your rent. There are different rules for housing benefit.
Find out more about:
Asking family or friends to pay more towards rent
Ask the person who lives with you if they can pay more so you can meet the full rent.
Be open and honest about why you are finding it hard to keep up rent payments. They might not know how much is taken from your benefits.
Tell them:
what your monthly rent is
how much benefit you get towards rent
what is taken off your benefit because they live there
how much you would like them to pay to help with any shortfall
It is their home too and they could help to stop arrears getting any worse.
Last updated: 8 July 2024
