As your landlord, Tamworth Borough Council has a duty to make sure that all rent is paid and up to date. Your weekly rent covers the cost of maintaining and managing your home as well as providing other services to tenants. It is vital therefore that your rent is paid on time.

Ideally you should pay your weekly rent in advance. This means that you must pay your rent for the week to come every Monday. If you do not do this, your account will be in debt and you will be in arrears.

Alternative payment intervals such as fortnightly, four-weekly or monthly can be made in agreement with your Housing Officer however all payments should pay the rent in advance, not arrears.

Our aim is to work with you to make sure that you are able to pay your rent. As a tenant it is your responsibility to make paying your rent a priority. Where this is not the case, you will run the risk of losing your home.

If you are joint tenants you are both responsible for paying the rent and for any rent that you owe. If one party leaves you both remain fully responsible for rent.

This page sets out information about your rent and how to pay it, what to do if you experience difficulties paying your rent and the actions that we will take if you do not pay your rent.

Our commitment to you

When you move into your new home we will:

• give you a rent account number and issue an Allpay card 
• offer a range of convenient payment methods and advise you of the options available;
• provide help and advice for tenants with rent difficulties, including having access to a money advisor;
• if applicable, help to complete a Housing Benefit form to see if you can get any benefits;
• visit you within six weeks of your tenancy to see if you have any problems, including any issues around your rent;
• contact tenants who fall into arrears at an early stage before the debt becomes unmanageable.
• offer you a realistic payment plan to allow you to manage your debt;
• send out quarterly rent statements; and
• consult with you annually on rent increases

Paying your rent is part of your tenancy agreement. It should take priority over other debts. You could lose your home if you do not pay your rent.

If you know you will have a problem paying your rent contact the Income Team immediately telephone 01827 709514

or email: IncomeTeam@tamworth.gov.uk

Do not wait until you receive an arrears letter.

Do not ignore letters you receive about your rent account.

Talk to one of our friendly staff who can help resolve the problem.

Make an arrangement with us to pay as much as you can to reduce your arrears and stick to it.

Pay your rent instead of other bills or debts - you cannot lose your home if you delay other credit payments.

Check on your entitlement to Housing Benefit as well as other Benefits and Tax Credits - telephone the Benefit section 01827 709540 or email: benefits@tamworth.gov.uk

Always attend Court and try to get representation.

Keep to the terms of any Court Orders made.

Maintain contact with us throughout the process.

Seek financial advice on any other debts or financial problems you have

What to do if you are having problems paying your rent

Rent is a priority debt. If you do not pay your rent or make arrangements with us to clear any arrears, you could lose your home.

However the last thing that we ant to do is evict you from your home. If you are having difficulties meeting your rent payments remember that we are here to help advise you. It is important that you contact the Income team  immediately if you are struggling to pay your rent.

You can see a Housing Officer to discuss the problems you are having with your rent payments. Your Housing Officer will arrange for you to pay what you owe in regular manageable amounts. They will take into account how much money you owe and how much money you have coming into the house after you have paid priority bills.

It is important that you get help as soon as possible in order to avoid getting too far behind with your payments. Do not ignore any of the letters that we send you because the sooner you get in touch the easier it will be for us to help you.

What will happen if you do not pay your rent

Ultimately if you do not pay your rent you could lose your home.

There are a number of steps that we can take before an eviction takes place. If you have not made agreed arrangements with the us to pay your rent by the end of this process, you are likely to be evicted. The stages in this process are set out below:

Stage 1: If you miss a rent payment or are paying less than you should the Housing Department will contact you to ask you to make up the payments. If after the first reminder you do not pay your arrears or your arrears continue to rise, you will be contacted again and asked to pay your arrears or contact your Housing Officer.

Stage 2: If your arrears remain unpaid you will receive a Notice o f Seeking Possession or a Notice to Quit. This is a formal notice informing you that we intend to take you to Court.

Stage 3: At any time between four weeks and one year after sending a Notice Of Seeking Possession or a Notice To Quit, we can issue a summons for you to attend Court.

Stage 4: Application to the Courts. The Court will hold a hearing to consider your case. You will usually be allowed to remain in your home as long as pay off your arrears at a rate that the Court considers appropriate. You will be liable for all the court costs incurred.

Stage 5: If you do not keep to the arrangements made by the Court Order, we will apply for a 'Warrant' to evict you from your home. This is a last resort taken when all previous attempts to recover arrears have failed. You will be notified of the date of the eviction.

Stage 6: The Bailiffs will call to evict you. If you are evicted you are likely to be deemed 'intentionally homeless' which means that you may not be re-housed by us and are likely to have difficulty finding somewhere else to live.

This leaflet is available from Marmion House reception or as a download from the right of this page.