Introduction
As a responsible social housing landlord, Castle Point Borough Council ("the Council") must collect the income for the Council housing it owns and manages; this ensures that the Council has the money it needs to maintain and improve its homes and communal areas.
A proactive approach to income recovery
The Council will be proactive in establishing direct personal contact at all stages of income collection and arrears management. As well as writing to tenants and leaseholders, the Council will use a variety of methods to facilitate personal contact, including home visits, telephone contact, email or texts.
Let us know if you’re having financial difficulties
The Council is committed to helping tenants sustain their tenancies. Therefore, it is important that tenants understand the help they can receive should they struggle to pay their rent, or their personal or economic circumstances change.
The Council is committed to finding a solution that is affordable to tenants and does not expose the Council to long term risk of high levels of rent arrears. It’s not in anyone’s interests to have rent arrears.
Need help in paying your rent
The Council will offer suitable advice and assistance to tenants to help them claim Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. It will also signpost tenants to appropriate advice agencies who may help them with their claims.
Where reasonable, the Council will continue to follow the arrears collection procedures where there is a shortfall in benefit.
The Council will make an application to the Department for Working Pensions (DWP) for the housing element to be paid direct to the Council.
Where a tenant is in arrears, the Council will apply to the to get the housing element of the Universal Credit paid directly to us, because this helps to sustain tenancies.
Eviction is always the last resort
The Council will do everything possible to work with people who are in rent arrears to prevent the need to go to court. Where a tenant is in arrears and refuses to make contact or keep to a repayment plan, the Council will proceed with legal action.
Where eviction is being sought the Council will meet its duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2018 by:
- attempting to speak with the tenant
- endeavouring to provide support and sustain tenancies when tenants get into difficulties
- continuing to liaise with other agencies such as debt counselling, or welfare benefit advisers to see what help can be put in place
Further advice and support
Contact the Rent Recovery Team.