Reasons behind rent arrears
There are lots of reasons why you might find yourself in rent arrears:
* Loss of earnings due to illness or redundancy
* Changes to your benefit
* Not prioritising your rent payments
Whatever the reason, it is important to look at addressing the underlying issues like physical or mental health issues or looking at your budgeting skills to avoid getting into rent arrears in the future.
Act without a delay
It is important to act quickly when you have rent arrears. This is to avoid getting into further debt and possible court action which could result in eviction. If you are not able to clear your arrears it could lead to lots of problems, including losing your home and having problems finding somewhere else to live. You might not be able to rely on the local authority to rehouse you because they might consider you to have made yourself intentionally homeless. You might find it hard to get credit or borrow money in the future. In addition, it is unlikely you will have good references from your current landlord which will make finding another private let accommodation more difficult.
Important steps to take when you have rent arrears
Find out how much you owe. Ask your landlord for the latest rent statement to be certain of what you owe. If you’re an assured or an assured short hold tenant, your landlord could take legal action and the court may have no choice but to evict you if you have over 8 weeks’ rent arrears. Speak to your landlord About your financial situation and assure them you are taking action to address your rent arrears. Offering to pay smaller amounts is better than paying nothing at all.
Look at maximizing your income
Check out our website: https://www.licensedtradecharity.org.uk/financial-support/
You will find links to other helpful money saving help sheets and tools including benefit calculators
Seek charitable assistance to help with your rent arrears.
Licensed Trade Charity can consider your request for help if you have worked in pubs, bars or breweries
for 5 consecutive years. We might be able to consider helping you with your rent arrears to save your tenancy or with rent in advance and deposit costs to enable you securing alternative private let accommodation.
Please contact our helpline on 0808 801 0550 if you would like to discuss it further. There is a lot of
occupational benevolent charitable organizations which might be worth applying to depending on your
or your partner’s employment history. Turn2Us offer grants calculator that can assist with your search:
www.turn2us.org.uk/Get-Support
Can I withhold rent from my landlord because of repair problems?
You don’t have the right to withhold rent and you shouldn’t do this to try to force your landlord to do repairs. Withholding rent could mean that your landlord takes legal action against you for rent arrears and you could lose your home. In certain circumstances, you can arrange for repairs to be done yourself and use the rent money to pay for the work. This is not recommended as you have to carefully follow a certain procedure to do this. The law in this area is complicated so it is important to get advice. It’s never a good idea to just stop paying your rent, you should consult an experienced adviser without delay.
If your landlord started legal action
It is worth discussing your rent arrears and payment plan with your landlord even if they have already started legal action to evict you. Eviction is a legal process. It takes time and many landlords only use it as a last resort. If your landlord won’t agree the repayment plan you have offered, pay what you have offered anyway. This may make a difference if the landlord takes you to court.
If you are taken to court for rent arrears
If you have rent arrears your landlord may try and evict you. This is called seeking possession. To do this, in most cases they will have to follow a procedure which involves court order. Your landlord cannot force you out of your home without a court order. Let them know you’re taking steps to get advice and deal with your situation. If they do make you leave without a court order, this is against the law.
Support from the Licensed Trade Charity
LTC is committed to providing support to those in the licensed trade. If you are dealing with housing issues or other challenges, our helpline is available 24/7 for confidential, free support. Contact us at 0808 801 0550 or email enquiries@ltcharity.org.uk.
