Struggling to pay?

What should I do if I can’t pay my rent?

If you are struggling to pay your rent, please take action as soon as possible:

• Contact your Rent Management Officer immediately on 0300 1234 161 so we can offer support and look at your options.
• If you receive Universal Credit, make sure your housing costs are included in your claim. If you need help setting this up or making a change, please follow the Universal Credit link provided or contact your Work Coach. Include following link Can Universal Credit help to pay my Council Tax - Cornwall Council - Universal Credit: What Universal Credit is - GOV.UK
• If you think you may be entitled to Housing Benefit, contact Cornwall Council on 0300 1234 121 to make an application.
• Keep your Rent Management Officer up to date with any changes to your Universal Credit, Housing Benefit, or financial circumstances, including delays or payment issues.
• Seek independent advice on debt, budgeting, and rent arrears from organisations such as Citizens Advice (03444 99 41 88) or National Debtline (0808 808 4000).

Help with paying your rent

If you're on a low income, or having financial problems, check if you qualify for any benefits - such as Housing Benefit, Council Tax Support, tax credits or Universal Credit: What Universal Credit is - GOV.UK. You don't have to be out of work to claim benefits and you could qualify for more than one. Even if you already receive Housing Benefit, if it doesn't cover your rent you may be able to get some extra money - called 'discretionary housing payments'. For benefits advice contact the benefits team on 0300 1234 121.

You should also consider seeking advice from a debt advice agency, which should be able to advise you on how to maximise your benefits and about any additional benefits you may be able to claim. They may also be able to assist you with filling out the forms and ensuring that any claims are not held up by incomplete paperwork.

What can happen if you don't pay your rent

Landlords usually have the right to seek a court order to evict you for rent arrears. In certain circumstances the council, your landlord, may be able to evict you without the need to obtain a court order first.

The rules about when and how a landlord may evict you for rent arrears differ according to the type of tenancy agreement you have. You will either have an introductory tenancy or secure tenancy.

Introductory tenancy: An Introductory tenancy lasts for the first year of a council tenancy (it can be extended if legal action has been taken or if you break any of the tenancy conditions such as paying your rent when it's due) and the tenant has fewer rights than a secure tenant. It is easier for the council to repossess during this introductory period if tenancy conditions are broken or the rent is not paid. However, if the rent is paid and tenancy conditions are complied with, the tenancy will automatically become a Secure Tenancy after one year.

Secure tenancy: You will remain a secure tenant for as long as you live at the property as your sole or principal home. This tenancy also means that the only way you can be made to give up your home is through an Order from the County Court. To get such an Order it must be clear that one of the grounds for possession applies, such as breaking your tenancy agreement.

How we collect your rent or arrears

The way that we collect rent and arrears, follows a specific structure that aims to maximise rent collection, but also to ensure that our tenant’s individual circumstances influence that process. 

If you do not pay your rent on time, you will be in arrears and we will have to take action to recover those arrears. In brief, we will take the following actions:

• Write to you to detailing how much your rent arrears amount to and ask for payment or to contact your Rent Management Officer to make a payment agreement.
• If arrears continue, you will be contacted by an officer of the Rent Management Team to discuss your arrears and a way forward.  This could be a telephone call or a visit to your home.
• If arrears continue, we will write to you again detailing how much your rent arrears amount to and ask for payment or to contact your Rent Management Officer to make a payment agreement. This is a final warning; the letter will explain that a Notice of Seeking Possession will be served if rent arrears continue.
• Failure to contact or rectify the arrears will result in your Rent Management Officer personally serving a Notice of Seeking Possession on your home.  This is the first step to taking you to court.
• Continued withholding of payments will result in a possession claim being made. The court will order you to pay costs of £473.50 minimum as well as the rent arrears you owe.
• If you fail to pay after the court hearing, you may have to leave your home. If you move out while you have rent arrears, you will still have to pay the money that you owe!

Please remember, you will always be given the chance to pay the arrears that you owe.  If you stay in touch with your Rent Management Officer we will try to provide you with the support that you need to resolve the issues you have and help you to sustain your tenancy and keep your home.

Information for tenants

Further information is available in the Tenant Handbook or the leaflet Paying your rent - information and advice.

Arrears caused by Housing Benefit and Universal Credit

Sometimes rent arrears arise because of problems with claiming or receiving Universal Credit (UC) or Housing Benefit (HB).

Universal Credit

If you move from Housing Benefit onto Universal Credit, it is important to be aware that there is usually a minimum 5‑week wait before your first UC payment is made. During this time, your rent account may fall into arrears if payments are not covered.

To reduce the impact of this:

• You should start building up credit on your rent account before moving onto Universal Credit, if possible
• Make your UC claim as soon as you are eligible
• Keep paying what you can towards your rent during the waiting period

You can manage and update your Universal Credit claim online at: https://www.gov.uk/universal-credit

Housing Benefit

If your Housing Benefit has not been paid, contact the council’s benefits team on 0300 1234 121 to find out what is happening. There may be a delay, a backlog, or they may need more information from you to process your claim.

You must keep in regular contact with your Rent Management Officer and explain why your rent has not been paid.

We strongly recommend seeking advice from an independent adviser who may be able to help you make or complete a claim. Incomplete or missing information will delay payments and may cause arrears to increase.

Help is available if you are struggling

Your Rent Management Officer can discuss your rent account and payment options.

Please keep in touch, tell your Rent Management Officer what is happening, and keep copies of all letters, emails, and evidence related to your claim. Early contact helps us support you and prevent arrears from increasing.

Other help and advice