This information tells you about paying your rent. You should read it carefully.
You should pay your rent one week in advance. We will take action if you do not pay on time.
If you choose to pay fortnightly or monthly, you should make sure that the full payment is in advance.
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You can pay:
- By Direct Debit - We collect direct debits from your bank account. You can choose to pay on 1st, 8th or 23rd of each month or weekly on a Friday.
- By Phone - Ring (01744) 636969 with your debit or credit card details.
- At any Post Office - Don’t forget to take your swipe card with you.
- Online - Using you debit or credit card.
Remember: If you are paying monthly the whole payment must be in advance. You may prefer to pay weekly if this would make managing your money easier. Telephone (01744) 675553 for an application form.
Click here to find out more about ways to pay>
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You are still responsible for your rent, even if you are claiming housing benefit. It is important that you provide St Helens Council with all the information they need to deal with your claim. Reply immediately to any letters they send. If you don’t and your benefit isn’t paid you will still be responsible for paying your rent.
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You should talk to your rent officer straight away. We can help by:
- Making an agreement with you for you to pay off as much as you can afford.
- Advising you about any benefits you can claim.
- Helping you to fill in housing benefit claim forms.
- Helping you to get advice about managing your debt from specialists like the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Remember: If you owe us rent and you ignore the problem, we will take legal action. This could lead to a County Court Judgement (CCJ). You could be evicted from your home. A CCJ against you will prevent you getting credit for catalogue loans or hire purchase. If you receive a letter from your rent officer you must contact them as soon as possible to avoid any legal action against you.
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In 2000, the government introduced a new system of setting rent levels based on the value of your property, how much people earn in your area and the number of bedrooms in your home. This is known as the target rent. All rents should be at this target rent by 2011.
I transferred from St Helens Council and I have a rent guarantee – how will my rent change?
It will change in line with your rent guarantee. Once the rent guarantee period ends after April 2007, it will go up each year until it reaches the target rent.
I became a tenant after July 2002 – what is my rent in relation to target rent?
If you became a Helena Housing tenant after July 2002 but before April 2006 you were paying the target rent for your property at the time. In April 2006 the Government changed the target rent formula for larger properties by a small increased amount. Your new rent will be increased to the new target, but only as outlined in the next question/answer. If you became a Helena Housing tenant after April 2006 you are already paying the target rent for your property.
How much can my rent go up by?
The most your rent can go up is by the rate of inflation plus 0.5% plus £2 per week. So if your rent is £50 a week and inflation is 2.5%, it can’t go up by more than £3.50 per week, in any year.
When will my rent go up?
We will increase your rent on the first Monday in April each year. We will not increase your rent at any other time. We will write to you at least 28 days before any increase, telling you what your new rent will be.
What are service charges?
You pay service charges for services provided by Helena Housing for things like grass cutting and hedge trimming on your estate, any furniture provided for you or lighting in shared areas. Before April 2007, service charges will not go up each year by more than inflation plus 1.5%.
After that we will set the charge to cover the cost of the services provided.
There may be times when we want to increase the number of services you receive. If we do this we will not introduce any new charges without first consulting you about the changes.
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You can ask to see how we have calculated your rent. If you still think your rent is too high you can appeal to an independent Rent Assessment Committee. The Committee will compare rents for similar homes in your area. If it thinks your rent is too high it will tell Helena Housing to reduce it. The Committee may agree that your rent is right or even set a higher one. The Committee can be contacted at:
- Rent Assessment Committee
20th Floor
Sunley Tower
Piccadilly Plaza
Manchester
M1 4BE
Remember : If you transferred from St Helens Council and you have signed the Transferring Tenancy Agreement you have agreed to the rent guarantee and you cannot appeal.
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You can contact:
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