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Former Tenant Arrears - Your questions answered
We have a full time Former Tenant Arrears Officer at Wherry Housing Association and she has put together a questions and answer leftlet covering what you should do if you leave Wherry Housing Association with rent arrears.
What does it mean for me if I have Former Tenant Arrears?
If you do not clear your rent account before you leave your home, this may affect any future application you make for housing.
Remember, both social and private landlords may contact us to check.
What do I do if I have arrears at the end of my tenancy?
If you think you might have rent arrears at the end of your tenancy, please contact Gillian McEwan on free phone 0800 013 2327 who will be able to discuss this with you.
Agreements to pay the debt in instalments may be made if you are experiencing financial difficulties.
Can you offer me any help?
Your local income team will be able to give you basic advice of benefits and what you may be able to claim. We can also point you in the right direction if we are not able to directly help you with something. Please do not feel embarrassed to ask us for advice or assistance, we probably talk to people in similar situations to you every day.
What if I am on Housing Benefit?
Housing Benefit is only paid on your main or principle home. This means that if you are moving to another rented property and move out of your Circle Anglia property prior to the end your tenancy with us Housing Benefit may not pay. If you are moving out prior to the end of your tenancy then please contact your local Housing Benefit Office or your Income team to discuss the matter further.
What happens if I don’t contact you regarding my arrears?
If you do not contact us then we will attempt to contact you. This may be done by letter, e-mail, visit, text or telephone depending on the contact details we have for you or your nominated next of kin.
If you have not left us a forwarding address we will use a tracing agent to locate you after you have moved.
What if my tenancy was a joint tenancy?
If you had a joint tenancy with someone else then you are both equally responsible to pay all of the arrears.
What if I disagree with the amount of arrears you say I have?
If you have any questions regarding the amount of money you owe then please contact Gillian McEwan who will be happy to help. Gillian can be contacted on free phone 0800 013 2327.
How do I pay my Former Tenant Arrears?
You can pay your Former Tenants Arrears by the following payment methods:
•Direct Debit • Over the phone • At our offices
•Via the internet • By cheque
•Using a rent payment card at various retail outlets and the Post Office
•By text (by registering at https://www.allpayments.net/textpay)
What happens if I ignore my Former Tenant Arrears?
If you do not respond to our attempts to contact you regarding your Former Tenant Arrears then the debt may be referred to a Debt Collection Agency for recovery.
We may obtain a County Court Money Judgement against you, and if your debt is still not paid, use the Court’s enforcement proceedings against you. These may include:
• An Attachment of Earnings Order, to instruct your employer to pay us directly from your wages.
• A Third Party Debt Order, to force your bank or building society to transfer money to us from your account/s.
• A Warrant of Execution, to instruct County Court Bailiffs to seize your goods and money to the value of the debt.
• Charging Order, to put a “charge” on any property or stocks and shares you own to force you to pay us the money owed on their sale.
A Money Judgement will result in your name being entered onto the Register of Debtors at the Court, which will affect your credit rating, so you may find it difficult to obtain credit in the future.
If we had a possession order against you at your previous address, we may already have a Money Judgement in which case we can enforce this Judgement now.
We will take whatever action is most likely to ensure payment. You will be liable for the costs of any action we take. To do this we will apply for an Order to Obtain Information. This will mean that the court will summon you to a hearing to ask you about your financial situation.
Useful Contacts
Gillian McEwan
Income Officer (Former Tenants)
Tel: 01603 703 583 or free phone 0800 013 2327
E-mail: gillian.mcewan@circleanglia.org
Text: 07797 805631
