What to do if you get into arrears

You should pay your rent every week, or monthly if you have agreed this with us.

If you do get into arrears, it is important that you contact us straight away to arrange a repayment plan.  We can also check if you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to, or you can do this yourself by using our online benefits calculator.

If you are having difficulty paying your rent, there is lots of help available. It is important that you can meet your priority debts, such as rent, Council Tax and fuel bills and we can advise you on the best way to do this. Please contact us on 0161 686 8000, or the Council's Housing Advice Service for more details.

If you have a complaint or comment about rent arrears, you can let us know using the online form.

Taking action on rent arrears

If you are in arrears we will make an agreement for you to pay an affordable amount each week until the debt is cleared.  If you break this agreement and your arrears increase, we may take you to court to obtain an order requiring you to pay.  You should be aware that failing to pay your rent may ultimately mean that you are evicted and will lose your home. We may not be obliged to rehouse you if you are evicted because of rent arrears.

If you rent a garage and owe us rent arrears, we will ask you to repay the debt to us. If you do not pay or ignore our letters, we will repossess the garage and change the locks after giving you 28 days notice.

Notice of Seeking Possession (NSP)

If you receive a NSP, this means that we intend taking you to County Court to get an order requiring you to pay your rent arrears.  It is important that you contact us on 0161 686 8000 to discuss the situation.  At this stage, it is not too late to avoid expensive court action.

Possession Orders

A possession order means that the Court has decided that we can ask for you to be evicted from your home.  If the possession order is suspended, this means that provided you pay your rent and an amount set by the Court every week you will be allowed to stay in your home.  If you breach the terms of the order, or if the order is not suspended, we can ask the Court bailiff to evict you from your home.

Evictions

If you receive an eviction notice from the Court, this means that on the date given you will be evicted from your home. If you are willing to leave before this date, you should contact us to make arrangements. For help on your options if you are faced with eviction, including your right to appeal, please contact us on 0161 686 8000 or the Council's Housing Advice Service.