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Experiencing Difficulty?
There are many reasons why you may be unable to pay your rent. It is important to act quickly if you have, or are at risk of having, rent arrears, to prevent your arrears getting bigger and to avoid your landlord being forced to evict you.
Above all, don’t ignore the problem. Even if you have a lot of debts, it's important to make your rent your top priority. Debts such as rent arrears (where you risk losing your home) are much more important than debts such as catalogue payments (where you risk losing your credit rating).
ARIM has a dedicated team of experienced advisers who should be contacted as soon as you find yourself unable to pay your rent, either in whole or in part.
They can be contacted by telephone on 0300 303 1527,
by email to arrears@arim.co.uk
or in writing to
ARIM, Arrear Team, Princes House, 53/54 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XB.
In the meantime, the answers to the following questions may help you.
What happens if I cannot pay all my rent?
Please contact us as soon as you realise you may not be able to meet all or part of the rent. You should always pay as much as you can as often as you can as this demonstrates that you are making efforts to reduce any arrears balance. We may be able to reach an arrangement with you so that you pay an amount each month on top of the rent until any arrears are cleared. If you do not keep up to date with your rent, you are in danger of losing your home by being required to vacate. It may also affect any references we provide to other landlords, should you be looking to rent elsewhere in the future.
What if my circumstances change and I can no longer afford the rent?
It may be that your partner or sharer has vacated the property and you find you are unable to meet their share of the rent or you have lost your job and are not entitled to benefits. Please contact us as soon as you know there may be a problem meeting your rent. We may be able to help you work out where you can get advice such as Citizens Advice, Shelter or your local council to see if you may be entitled to housing benefit towards your rent to cover all or part of your rent.
What if I can no longer afford the rent and have decided to leave?
It may be possible to downsize and transfer to a smaller property, if we have one available in the area you wish to live. You may be charged a fee for this. If you simply cannot afford to stay in the property and want to end your tenancy, you need to let us know as soon as possible. If you are outside your contractual/tenancy term, you just need to give us at least 30 days’ notice in writing, and you will be liable for all rent due up to the end of this notice period. If however you want to leave before the end of your tenancy/the contractual term, legally you are not entitled to. You are liable for all rent payments due until then. We could ask the local letting agent to re-market the property and, if a new tenant is found, you could be released from your tenancy once they are ready to move in. However, you would be liable for all rent payments due until then, as well as for the letting fees incurred in re-marketing the property (typically equal to one month’s rent).
What if I make a claim for housing benefit ?
You should contact us to let us know of any change in your circumstances which may affect your ability to pay all or part of the rent. We may be able to provide advice or at the very least, give you information to help you. If you have rent arrears because of delays with your housing benefit, you should let us know. Make sure you have handed in all the information the council requires to process your form and keep a note of any contact you have if you are trying to chase the housing benefit department. If you are not expecting housing benefit to cover any rent arrears, you should make an arrangement with us to clear the arrears.
Can I take a rent payment holiday to free up cash for times such as Christmas or other annual holidays?
Many tenants will ask us if they can pay December’s rent in the following January. The answer is always No. We expect that you will make provision for December’s rent in advance. You can pay extra each month on top of the normal rent payment due, so that by the time December’s rent falls due, you have a credit on your rent account to cover December’s rent.
Am I charged interest on late rent payments?
Yes, if you pay your rent consistently late without prior agreement, interest will be charged.
What should I do if I receive a Notice to Quit or Notice Seeking Possession?
We genuinely hope that you do not force us into a position where we have no alternative but to serve such a Notice on you.
This Notice is generally served because of serious rent arrears but it may not be too late to negotiate a payment plan with you to enable you to stay in your home.
If you ignore the Notice and do not make sufficient payments to reduce or clear the arrears, the legal action will continue and you will be evicted.
Even once you are evicted, your landord will still pursue you for the debt, as well as the associated costs, including legal costs which can be significant. If you do not provide us with a forwarding address, this will involve us instructing a tracing agent and debt recovery agent. We may also ask the Courts to grant an Attachment to Earnings order which may cause embarrassment as your employer will be made aware that a County Court Judgement (CCJ) has been registered against you.
Legal action is never taken lightly and we would much prefer to try to help you.
Whatever your circumstances, PLEASE contact us. We may be able to help you.
Other Sources of Help & Advice
Some useful links:-
Search here for housing benefit eligibility & the claims process.
Alternatively, search your own local council’s web site and follow the links for local housing allowance.
