Fo F rmer rmer te t nant enant arre arr ars ear Gone but not Gone but no fo t f rgot rgo t t e t n e NCHLFT69

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1 Former tenant arrears Gone but not forgotten NCHLFT69

2 Former tenant arrears your questions answered... This leaflet gives you information on how to end your tenancy and, if you leave with rent arrears, who to contact and how to repay them. What are former tenant arrears? If you stop being a Nottingham City Homes tenant, and still owe us money, we will not write it off. We call these former tenant arrears. If you are struggling to pay, we will help you. But if you WON T pay, this leafl et explains what we will do to recover what you owe us. How can I make sure I have no arrears when I leave? When you decide to leave your property you must give four weeks notice in writing (these four weeks are chargeable in rent). If you leave before this time you will still be charged rent for the whole four-week notice period. If you claim housing benefi t you need to tell the benefi ts offi ce the date you intend to leave the property. If you leave the property before the end of the four-week notice period, you will receive your housing benefi t only up to the date you moved out. You will have to pay the remaining rent charges up to the end of the tenancy. 2 Former tenant arrears

3 Please make sure you hand your keys in before midday on the Monday your tenancy is due to end and get a receipt. If the keys are not received by this time you will be charged a weekly rent until the keys are returned. This means that if you hand in your keys on the next day, i.e. the Tuesday, you will be charged a full weeks rent, not an extra day. Please note, rent is charged one week in arrears. Once the tenancy has ended you will be charged for a week s rent amount after this date, regardless of the time the keys are handed in. If I have arrears already how do I arrange to pay them? You can make an arrangement to pay any arrears you may have by contacting the Rents Team on , or us at fta@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk. 3

4 What happens if a family member dies? You must advise us of the death and of the date you intend to return the keys. We will send you a tenancy termination form. You must complete this and return it with a copy of the death certifi cate. The tenancy will end on the following Monday after the keys have been returned. Housing Benefi t will end within the week of the tenant s death. Rent and other service charges will continue to be charged for the property until the keys are returned. What happens if my former tenant account is in credit? If you have given us your new address we will refund the money to you by cheque. If the tenant has died we will refund the money to their representative by cheque (proof will be required). 4 Former tenant arrears

5 What action can we take to recover former tenant arrears? If you leave your tenancy with arrears and do not give us your new address, we will use a tracing agency to find you. We will contact you, and give you the opportunity to make an arrangement to clear the arrears on your account. If you refuse to pay your arrears we will pass your details to a debt collection agency, or take court action to recover the debt. This will lead to extra legal costs. Can I apply for another council tenancy if I have former tenant arrears? Any debts you have after ending a tenancy could prevent you from being offered a property by Nottingham City Homes, or any other housing authority, in the future. Details of your arrears will be included in any reference we provide regarding your tenancy, and could have a negative effect on your credit rating. 5

6 Where to go for advice... Nottingham Law Centre 119 Radford Road Hyson Green Nottingham NG7 5DU St Ann s Advice Centre The Neighbourhood Centre Robin Hood Chase St Ann s Nottingham NG3 4EZ info@stannsadvice.org.uk Community Legal Service Direct Nottingham s Citizens Advice Bureau Carrington Street Nottingham NG1 7FG (if you re calling from a mobile, call ) Nottingham Credit Union info@nottinghamcu.co.uk Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) Insolvency Helpline Former tenant arrears

7 Bestwood Advice Centre 21 Gainsford Crescent Bestwood Nottingham NG5 5FH Bulwell Advice Centre 21a Merchant Street Bulwell Nottingham NG6 8GT Clifton Lane Advice Centre Clifton Cornerstone Southchurch Drive Clifton Nottingham NG11 8EW Forest Fields Advice Centre 69 Wiverton Road Forest Fields Nottingham NG7 6NU Meadows Advice Centre Queens Walk Community Centre, Queens Walk, Meadows, Nottingham, NG2 2DF

8 How to pay your arrears Direct Debit Direct Debit is a simple and easy way to pay your arrears. Money will automatically be taken from your bank account until the arrears have been paid in full. Paypoint To set up a Direct Debit contact the Rents Team on You can pay your arrears at any local newsagent, convenience store or supermarket that shows the PayPoint sign by using the printed barcode on your rent card. Credit / debit cards You can pay over the automated freephone hotline on at any time or on between 8.15am and 6pm Monday to Friday, Wednesday 9.30am to 6pm. You can pay by using most credit and debit cards. Online You can pay your arrears on our website using your credit or debit card. This service offers secure payments 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Visit 8 Former tenant arrears

9 By post You can post a cheque or postal order, made payable to Nottingham City Council to: Nottingham City Homes Limited, Loxley House, Station Street, Nottingham, NG2 3NJ. Remember to write your rent account number on the reverse. A receipt will be posted back to you the next working day by request. Please do not send cash through the post. More information on paying by post is on the back of your rent statement. Post Office Post offi ces accept payment in cash, by cheque (payable to Post Offi ce Counters Ltd) or most major debit cards. You can pay if there is a bar code printed on the front of your bill or rent card. Please take care of your documents if the bar code is damaged it may become unreadable. You will get a separate receipt which you can attach to your bill or card. Please keep all receipts safe. There is no charge for this service. 9

10 Get in touch In our Rents Team we have a number of people who are here to help you pay off your arrears. We have a tenancy sustainment team who are dedicated to working with you to help you manage your money. If you are in arrears, or struggling to pay your rent and bills, our TSOs are on hand to give advice, help set up new payment schemes and chase up other organisations on your behalf. Your local TSO can be contacted on , or you can the Tenancy Sustainment Team to arrange an appointment at moneymatters@nottinghamcityhomes.org.uk. We have a number of local housing offi ces across the city. If you are not sure of the location of your nearest offi ce call us on or visit our website 10 Former tenant arrears

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12 If you are unable to read this publication, please contact us on We can arrange for an interpreter to explain it to you. We can also provide it in large print. Phone: Registered in England and Wales number March 2016