Rent

Rent is charged weekly in advance and is due on Monday of each week.  If you would like to pay your rent fortnightly, four-weekly or monthly you can do so but these payments must also be made in advance. We provide our tenants with quarterly rent statements.

Ways to pay your rent

Paying the rent is a crucial part of your tenancy with us. The money we collect from rents goes to pay for the services that we provide for you. 

We offer a choice of rent payment methods: 

AllPay – which can be used anywhere you see the Paypoint sign.

Standing Order – forms available from our office.

Office payment – we accept cash and cheque payments at the office.  You need to ensure that our staff give you a receipt when you have made your payment.  

Online payments – by visiting www.allpay.net and selecting “Make a payment online”.

Post Office – you can make cash, cheque or card payments at any Post Office using your AllPay card.

At a bank –contact us for the payment details, to enable you to make payments directly through your bank.  Please ensure that your tenancy reference number is on any payments made in this way.

Rent Arrears

If you are finding it difficult to maintain your rent payments, contact us as soon as possible.  Our Housing Team can provide you with advice on benefits, general money and financial management advice, or refer you to specialist support agencies.

If you get into arrears with your rent and fail to clear the debt or come to an agreement acceptable to us, we have the right to commence legal proceedings which may ultimately result in your eviction. This is a last resort and we would hope to be able to prevent this becoming necessary, however, please remember that rent payment should be your priority and that the sooner you contact us if you are having difficulties paying your rent, the better chance of us being able to help you effectively.

How is my rent worked out?

In 2001, the Government introduced rent restructuring rules. We follow these rules to work out a target rent using a Government formula. The formula applies to rents only (not service charges). Target rents can be above or below the rent you currently pay.  

The target rent is based on:  

• the average earnings for the area compared to the national average; 
• the number of bedrooms in your home; 
• the value of your home in January 1999; 
• the national average housing association property value in January 1999. 

Any change in your rent will depend upon the amount of rent you pay now compared with the new target rent. The Government has set a limit on rent increases. This limit is worked out in the following way: 

• We add 0.5% to the Retail Price Index (RPI). (RPI is more or less another term for inflation); 
• Then, we either add or take off £2.00 per week in order to move to the ‘target rent’;
• Once a property reaches its target rent, the Government limit the annual increase to 0.5% in addition to the Retail Price Index;
• If you’ve been paying more than the target rent, we have to lower it. In this case, your rent will either have decreased already or will decrease to the new lower level in the future;
• Each year, our Board of Trustees approve our budget including rent levels and rent increases.