Rents and other payments (section 6)

This page provides information about your responsibilities when it comes to rent, service charges, and other payments.

For more information about paying your rent, please visit our dedicated rent page.

On this page:

Your responsibilities as a council tenant

6.1 Paying rent and service charges is one of your most important responsibilities. Your rent and services charges are due every Monday and you must pay them on time or in advance. Rent is due from the date on page number 39 of your signed paper Tenancy Agreement.

There are occasional “free” weeks when no rent is charged. If you owe us rent (called arrears) you must continue to pay your rent in these free weeks.

6.2 If you do not pay your rent or other charges, or if you pay it persistently late, we will go to Court to ask for you to be evicted from your home. The Court may also order you to pay our costs.

6.3 If you owe rent, rechargeable repair costs or other charges in relation to a previous tenancy from the Council, you agree to repay those arrears as an obligation of this tenancy. You will have to pay an agreed amount each week (in addition to the rent) until all of the arrears are repaid.

6.4 If this is a Joint tenancy, each named tenant is jointly responsible for paying the whole rent and any other payments due (arrears chargeable repairs and/or Service charges).

6.5 We can recover all the rent arrears owed on your home from either of the Joint tenants of the property. This means that if you leave your property you are still liable for paying the rent and for any arrears, Service charges or chargeable repairs until your tenancy comes to an end. 

If you have difficulty paying your rent, contact the Rents helpline immediately on 0118 937 2784.

6.6 You must not refuse to pay your rent for any reason. If the payment of rent is not made by the due date, you will be required to pay our reasonable administrative costs in pursuing you for the late payment. 

We may take any money you owe us out of any money we owe you. We can also decide how to allocate any payments that you make.

Your rent

6.7 We can increase or decrease your rent at any time. We must tell you, in writing, at least 4 weeks before any rent change.

Welfare benefits and housing benefit

6.8 If you get a welfare benefit, you must tell us immediately of any change in your circumstances that may affect your entitlement (for example if your income or savings change or the number of people living with you changes).

6.9 You will be responsible for paying a reasonable charge for officer time in relation  to continuous missed appointments, out of hours call outs and for a gas forced entry appointment even if you are there when we attend.

Service charges

6.10 We can introduce new services which you will have to pay for. These will be charged in addition to your rent and will be collected as part of your rent. We must tell you in writing at least 4 weeks before we do this.

6.11 We can introduce service charges for services that you already receive. These will be charged in addition to your rent and will be collected as part of your rent. We must tell you in writing at least 4 weeks before we do this.

Last updated on 29/05/2024