How To Pay Your Rent
You can pay using your rent payment card at any post office or shop showing the payzone logo or you can set up a standing order, if you wish to pay by standing order please contact Lynn Murray who will provide you with the necessary information.
It’s very important that you pay your rent and charges on time as we need the income to pay for repairs to your home and for the other services you receive.
Your rent is charged to your rent account on a weekly basis but may be paid either weekly, fortnightly, 4 weekly or monthly (for monthly payments please multiply your weekly rent by 4.35, this gives an average monthly rent to take account of the five week months during the year or multiply your weekly rent by 52 then divide by 12).
If you have difficulty paying your rent, contact Lynn Murray immediately on 02890 741618.
We want you to live in your home for the long term. However, if there is debt on your rent we may take legal action that could result in the loss of your home.
Change of circumstances
Please can you contact the association if you have any changes of circumstances to report i.e. phone numbers, dependents moving out, another person moving in etc.
Rent Arrears
If you get into rent arrears you must either:
- Pay the amount you owe back, or
- Come to an agreement to pay a regular amount towards your arrears.
If you don’t do this we have the right to take you to court and seek to evict you. The steps to eviction are shown below and are used as a last resort.
- You will be served with a Notice of Seeking Possession or a Notice to Quit.
- If you don’t clear the arrears as agreed in the time allowed we will request a court hearing.
- If the arrears aren’t cleared in full, at the time of the hearing, the court can grant an outright possession order and an eviction will be arranged.
Alternatively, the possession order will be suspended provided the arrears are cleared as directed by the court.
- If, in the case of the court granting a stay on the possession order, the arrears aren’t repaid as per the judges decision then we may go back to the court and request the stay order be lifted and a possession order granted to give us possession of the property.
- If you ever need advice or assistance with debt, then you should contact the Revenue Officer. We will be able to refer you to a number of organisations that could help.
Rent Increase
The Association strives to keep rents affordable
Rent Increases only occur once a year and are usually come into effect from 1st April
Tenants will receive a minimum of one months’ notice of any such increase in writing.
Rates
Rates are calculated by Land and Property Services, who inform Woodvale & Shankill HA of the new weekly amount in February/March every year, you will be informed of this weekly charge in the same letter as the annual rent increase, this letter is sent out at least 4 weeks before the yearly increase commences, which is usually the first week in April.
The Rent Increase commencing April 2024 is 6.7%
Who do I need to notify after I receive the increase letter?
If you are in receipt of partial/full housing benefit you do not need to do anything as we will inform NIHE.
If you are in receipt of Universal Credit you will need to update your journal with the new rental amount on the date given on your rent increase letter. In respect of your rate rebate account, they will be notified automatically.
If you pay by standing order please contact your bank or building society and give them the new rent debit amount to take effect from the date of the letter.
If you pay by rent card please increase the amount you pay as shown on the rent increase letter.
If you have any queries regarding your rent payment, rates or Housing Benefit entitlement please contact Lynn Murray.