Help paying your housing rent
How we can help if you're struggling to pay your rent and what happens if you do not pay.
Legal action for missed rent payments
We will start a legal process if you:
- ignore our actions to contact you
- do not follow the agreed payment plan
What may happen if our legal action is successful
Legal action could result in you:
- losing your home through eviction
- being given a County Court Judgement (CCJ)
- not being housed by other councils or landlords
A CJC can badly affect your applications for credit and store, cars, mobile phone contracts and more.
Formal Notice of Arrears
If the debt remains unpaid, we may issue a Notice Seeking Possession or a Notice to Quit.
This formal notice gives you a deadline to clear the debt or make arrangements to pay.
Court action
If no payment is made, we may apply to the court for a possession order.
You will receive a court summons with the date of your hearing.
We strongly recommend that you attend the court hearing.
The court hearing will explain why you have not paid your rent and your plan to repay us.
Court hearing
At the hearing, the court will decide if it should agree a possession order. This will be based on the evidence presented by you and us.
The court may give you extra time to pay or delay the order if you agree to a payment plan.
Possession order
If the court approves a possession order, you may be legally required to leave your home in a period of time specified by the court.
Failing to leave by the deadline could result in eviction.
Bailiff eviction
If you remain in the property after the possession order deadline, we can apply for an eviction warrant.
Bailiffs will be asked to remove you from the property.