How do I pay my rent?

You must pay your rent weekly in advance; this means you pay each Monday for the week ahead. If you prefer to pay your rent fortnightly, four weekly or monthly, we can arrange this. You must still pay your rent in advance.

The main ways to pay your rent to the Association are:

• By Standing Order, through your bank account, or
• By Housing Benefit, by applying for assistance

Other charges

As well as your rent, the Association charges a Service Charge for all sheltered schemes. 

Service charges cover the cost of providing communal services such as:

• Cleaning shared areas on schemes
• Lighting in areas you share with your neighbours
• Cutting the grass and maintaining the grounds in shared gardens
• Shared (communal) TV aerials
• Maintaining door-entry systems, fire alarms and lifts in schemes
• Heating and hot water if you live in a scheme with a shared heating system.

Service charges go up and down to reflect the actual cost of services.

Most (except for heating in your home) can be paid for by Housing Benefit if you receive it. Service charges are reviewed annually, at the same time as your rent.

How often will my rent increase?

We review rent and service charges every year. Your Tenancy Agreement states how much notice we need to give you of any change. In most cases, we must give 28 days’ notice. By the beginning of March, we will let you know what your new rent will be and the date it will change.  

Payment problems

It is possible to resolve most problems with rent, especially when you contact us straight away. Don’t delay and don’t hesitate, get in touch as soon as there is a problem and let us help you sort it out. Remember to include your tenant reference with all payments and enquiries.