Rent payment difficulties

Problems paying your rent?

If your rent is not paid the money owed is called 'rent arrears'.  Rent arrears are a priority debt. Consequences of not dealing with them are serious and you could be at risk of eviction. Please contact us if you can't pay your rent or have missed rent payments.

If you don't pay

Landlords usually have the right to seek a court order to evict you for rent arrears. Eviction rules differ according to the type of tenancy agreement you hold.

Get back on track

The first vital step in taking control of your finances is to create your own personal budget plan.

• make a list of all your debts and put them in order of priority
• write down all your income and expenses - then see how much you've got to pay your debts
• work out how much you can afford to pay to each creditor (person or organisation you owe money to)
• consider seeking advice from a debt advice agency such as:
  • GOV.UK - Options for paying off your debts (opens new window)
  • National Debt Line (opens new window)
  • The Money Advice Service (opens new window)
  • Stepchange Debt Charity (opens new window)

Get help to pay your rent

If you're on a low income, or having financial problems, check if you qualify for any benefits such as:

• Tax Credits (opens new window)

You don't have to be out of work to claim benefits and you could qualify for more than one.

You can contact Basildon Council's Housing Solutions Team who can offer independent advice on your housing situation.

In danger of losing your home?

 If you are homeless or about to become homeless you can apply for help.

With a shortage of housing in Basildon we cannot offer a home to everyone. We can work with you to see if we can keep you in your current home or find an affordable solution.

Money advice

Useful tips:

• make your home your top priority, make sure you pay the rent or mortgage
• don't just stop paying rent/loan payments with no explanation. Tell your creditors/lenders you are having problems
• don't pay off the person who is shouting the loudest, but pay the most important ones like mortgage/rent; council tax; gas and electricity. Otherwise you will be in danger of losing your home, having your gas and electricity cut off; or ending up in court
• work out how much you can realistically afford. It's easy to be panicked into offering more
• think twice about taking out a loan to pay off all your debts. You may end up paying back a lot more than you borrowed and at very high interest rates; you may not be able to afford the repayments and the loan may be secured against your home, which you could then lose
• get local free, confidential, independent advice from Citizens Advice (opens new window), who will help you work out repayments and negotiate with your creditors, as well as helping you to keep out of debt in the future

Food shopping tips:

• make a list and stick to it! You'll be amazed how much you have been spending on impulse purchases
• don't go shopping when you're hungry! Trust us, you're likely to spend more if you do
• buy-one-get-one-free's are not always a good buy. Only buy what you know you will use
• consider buying loose goods, not pre-packed as this is often cheaper
• ready made meals are often expensive; cooking your own is a cheaper option as you often get more for your money