Dealing with priority debts: rent arrears

YOU CAN BE EVICTED FROM YOUR PROPERTY IF YOU DO NOT PAY YOUR RENT.

If you're in arrears with rent payments, you should contact your landlord as soon as possible.


Making contact
Local authorities and housing associations are known as 'Social Landlords'. Generally such landlords are more amenable to accept low and regular repayments to pay off rent arrears.

Private landlords may be less agreeable and your negotiating power may rely quite heavily upon your previous relationship with your landlord.

If you are in receipt of certain benefits as bullet-pointed below, you can arrange for these repayments to be deducted directly from your benefits (Third Party Deductions).

• Job Seekers' Allowance (Income Based)
• Income Support.
• Pension Credits.
  
  
  

Additional considerations
If your income is low, you may be eligible for Housing Benefit, which will help towards the cost of renting. You can obtain a claim-form from your local council or Job Centre. 
For more information on Housing Benefit, see Directgov.