What should I do if I have rent arrears?

E-mail: rents@eastdevon.gov.uk

Current Tenants
If you are having problems paying your rent, please contact us. A member of staff will be pleased to discuss your problems in confidence. We can give advice and assistance to prevent and resolve rent arrears.

If you are on a low income, you may be entitled to Housing Benefit. If you would like to find out more informaiton or details on how to make a claim, please click here to visit the benefits pages.

Garage Tenancy Arrears
Garage rents are very reasonable and we will not tolerate any unpaid rent on these tenancies. If rent is not paid a Notice to Quit will be served and, at the end of that period of notice (usually 28 days), we will change the locks and repossess the garage.

Former Tenants
If you have terminated a Council tenancy and left some rent arrears at the end of that tenancy we will take whatever steps necessary to recover this debt.

We can apply to the County Court for a County Court Judgement (CCJ) on the debt and the Court will set terms for repayment. A CCJ will affect your credit rating and you will find it difficult to obtain credit, loans, credit cards etc.

We can also apply to the County Court for an Attachment of Earnings Order. The Court will order your employer to make deductions from your earnings to pay the outstanding rent debt.

It is in your own interest to make an arrangement to pay the debt outstanding rather than have action taken against you.

If you subsequently apply for housing with any Local Authority or other Registered Social Landlord (Housing Association) any rent outstanding from a previous tenancy may affect your application for housing.

Page last updated on 12 November 2007