If you are facing difficulties with paying your rent and have made an agreement to repay your debt with Housing Rent Account Monitoring Team, no further action will be taken.
Step one
The Housing Rent Account Monitoring Team will send out a reminder asking for the amount owed to be paid immediately. If you are having trouble paying your rent you should contact the Housing Rent Account Monitoring Team to discuss the problem and make an agreement to repay the debt.
Step two
You will be served with a Notice of Intention to Seek Possession. This is the first stage of legal action, which could lead to you losing your home.
After receiving this notice you have 28 days to pay off the whole debt or to make an agreement to pay it back in regular instalments.
Step three
If your debt increases, your Housing Management Officer will send a further letter warning that court action to repossess the house will begin. Even at this stage, you can still sort the situation out by contacting your Housing Management Officer and agreeing a repayment plan. If you are taken to court the costs can be in the region of £320 and you will have to pay these.
Step four
Legal action will be started against you at the County Court. You will be invited to a court hearing at which the court can agree to repossess your home or order you to pay back what you owe and court costs in weekly payments.
Step five
If you do not keep up with the terms of the court order, your Housing Management Officer will apply for a warrant to remove you from the property, which you will be charged for. You can make an application to have a further court hearing. However, you need to pay for this hearing and arrange it yourself with the County Court - your Housing Management Officer can advise you on this process. If you lose your home because you have not paid the rent, you will not usually be rehoused.