RENT ARREARS

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 We understand that it is extremely stressful when struggling  with debt issues.  Here at St George Housing we have specialist staff here to help.  If  you are experiencing difficulties and cannot pay your rent, you should get on touch with your housing officer or support worker straight away. We understand things can go wrong and we can advise you on how to deal with the problem. We will discuss the situation in confidence and can offer advice on benefits and dealing with debt if necessary.  There are a number of option available to get you back on track the quicker you act.

If you miss a payment, we will write to you immediately. It is very important that you do not ignore this letter. If you contact us, we can help you come to an arrangement to pay back any overdue rent. We can also help you check that you are receiving all the benefits, such as housing benefit, that you are entitled to.

We consider legal action only when all other options have failed. However, if you do not make contact with us, or do not stick to any payment agreement, we will start legal action if you have a tenancy, or give you notice in line with the licence agreement which could lead to you losing your home.

There are several stages to legal action, and we will negotiate with you at every step to try to avoid eviction.  The steps we will take will depend on the type of tenancy or licence agreement you have with St George Housing.  Please refer to your tenancy licence agreement for further clarification on this.  Alternatively, you can speak to your housing or support worker who will be able to advise.

• The first stage is to serve you with a legal notice,  regardless of the tenancy terms.
  
  
• The notice period may vary depending on the type of tenancy agreement you have.
  
  
• If you still do not contact us and make no arrangement to pay the overdue rent we will ask the court for a Possession Order. The costs will be added to any money that you owe us.
  
  
• When the court gives us a Possession Order, we may suspend it if you keep making the payments the court has set.
  
  
• If you fail to make these payments, we will take action to evict you. If you have to go to court, our guide to the court process explains what you can expect and helps you to prepare for the hearing.
  
  
• Eviction is always the last resort, but if you are evicted and you ask your council to rehouse you, they are likely to decide that you have made yourself intentionally homeless and they will not help you.