As a council tenant you must pay your rent in advance every week, fortnight or month, according to your tenancy conditions.
Your rent is fixed every April, in line with government legislation for setting rents. If we have to increase your rent, we’ll tell you in writing at least four weeks in advance.
You might not be receiving all the money you’re entitled to, or maybe you’re struggling to make the most of what you have – check our debt and money advice.
Pay by direct debit
The easiest way to pay is by monthly direct debit. You can set it up on our tenants’ portal.
Watch our short video to learn how to register to use the portal if you do not already have an account. After you log in, select ‘view account’ then ‘set up a direct debit’.
You can also use our online form to set up a direct debit.
You can pay on the 1st, 8th, 15th or 22nd of each month. Your payments will be subject to the safeguards assured by the direct debit guarantee.
Paying by direct debit saves you time and helps us to reduce costs, making more money available to provide other services.
Other ways to pay
You can pay your rent online at any time, or transfer the money to us – our bank account number is 201768 20412090. Use your tenancy number as the payment reference – without it we might not be able to trace your payment.
You can pay over the telephone – call us on 01223 457779. You’ll need your housing rent account number and your debit or credit card. We’ll give you a confirmation number at the end of the transaction. This telephone number is for payments only – we can’t answer questions on this number.
If you want to pay in person, you can only do so at a post office or where you see the PayPoint sign.
Some employers will take your rent out of your salary and send the payment direct to us. Ask your employer whether they offer this service and then ask us for a form.
Get help to pay your rent
Contact us as soon as possible if you cannot pay your rent each week, or as specified in your tenancy agreement. If you miss payments and fall into arrears, we can seek to repossess your home.
The government provides information about benefits and financial support if you’re temporarily unable to work.
If you miss a payment because you’re waiting for a benefit or Universal Credit payment, it’s your responsibility to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
If you are having difficulties paying your rent, we can arrange a payment plan to help you to spread the cost. This could include paying less or no rent for a few months, then spreading the cost over an agreed period to catch up.
For example, if your monthly rent is £500 (£6,000 per year), you might pay no rent for 2 months, then £600 for the next 10 months. Or you might pay £250 per month for 3 months, then £583.33 for the next 9 months.
We’ll agree payment plans on a case-by-case basis. Contact us as soon as possible if you would like to discuss it. If you miss a rent payment we will contact you to discuss this.
Other help is available:
- Our benefits calculator will help you find out what benefits you can claim, including Universal Credit. You’ll need information about your savings, income, pensions and existing benefits.
- Our budget planner will only take a few minutes to use if you have all your financial information.
- Understanding Universal Credit provides information about all aspects of the benefit, including how to claim.
