Paying your rent
These conditions explain the rules on:
- paying your rent
- changes to your rent
- dealing with rent arrears
You may be evicted if you do not pay your rent when it is due. If you are evicted, you may not be able to get another Council tenancy.
If you are having difficulties paying your rent, we can offer advice and support to help you.
When you need to pay rent
You must pay your rent and all other charges for the property (including any district heating charges) when they are due. The rent and any other charges are due every Monday.
We may decide that rent or other charges are not due in one or more weeks in each financial year. We will tell you about these in advance.
How to pay your rent
You must pay your rent and all other charges by Direct Debit unless we agree that you can pay them using another payment method.
Changes to your rent
We will give you 4 weeks’ notice in writing about any changes to your rent or other charges for the property.
Rent arrears
We may move any credit balance from any account you have with us to pay off arrears on other accounts. This includes from former tenancies and other debts to the Housing Revenue Account.
If you owe rent arrears, you must pay an agreed amount towards the arrears each week including any rent-free weeks.
Not paying your rent
You must not withhold the rent for any reason or set off the cost of outstanding repairs which are our responsibility against your obligation to pay rent.
Reasons for evicting you
We can only evict you if we give you a ‘Notice Seeking Possession’ and apply to the court to end your tenancy. If the court is satisfied it is reasonable then, with the court’s agreement, we can evict you if you:
- don’t pay your rent
- breach your tenancy conditions
- cause a nuisance or annoyance to other people, have been convicted for using the premises for illegal or immoral purposes, or convicted of an offence in or near the premises. This includes anyone living with you or visiting you
- have been living with someone as your partner and they leave because of violence or threats of violence from you, either to them or a member of their family, and it’s unlikely they’ll return
- have damaged the property or communal area. This includes anyone living with you or visiting you
- have damaged furniture provided by us. This includes anyone living with you or visiting you
- got the tenancy because you or somebody on your behalf made false statements
- refuse to leave a property we let to you temporarily while work was carried out to your permanent home
Immediate evictions
You will usually have the chance to put things right before we evict you. However, if the breach is serious, we may seek eviction straight away. If the court is satisfied it is reasonable then, with the court’s agreement, we can evict you if your home:
- is overcrowded as defined in the Housing Act 1985
- is being altered or demolished and this can’t be done while you’re still living there
- was designed or adapted for a disabled person who no longer lives there and the property is now needed for a disabled tenant
- has special services provided which are no longer needed by the current occupants but are needed by someone else
- is much larger than you reasonably need after taking over the tenancy from a family member. We will consult you and offer alternative accommodation which meets your reasonable needs.
If it goes to court, you can challenge our reasons to evict you and or the suitability of alternative accommodation offered. You should get legal advice before you do this.
Abandonment and notice to quit
If you abandon your property, we will treat it as a tenancy surrender and may re-let it. You are responsible for the rent until we accept the surrender. If you don’t use the property as your only and principal home, we may serve you with a Notice to Quit.