Severn Vale Housing Society

We understand that your personal circumstances may change (for example through illness or unemployment) which may make it difficult for you to pay your rent. Rent arrears are serious and we take a firm but fair approach to the recovery of arrears.

We keep control of arrears by providing you with advice on benefits, by promptly informing you of changes to your rent charges and making early contact with you if your account goes into arrears. We will then make a financial assessment of your circumstances and do our best to make realistic arrangements to pay off the arrears. In cases of persistent rent arrears we will take legal action to evict the householder and repossess the property under Section 8 of the Housing Act, 1988.

How we deal with non payment of rent

We promise to maintain continuous personal contact with our customers throughout the debt recovery process. We ensure that anyone experiencing debt problems are referred to agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureaux, Shelter who provide debt advice. Our procedure for rent arrears recovery gives full details of the action to be taken and a timetable for action. The main points are:

• We will provide all new customers with Benefits advice
• We will commence the Recovery process when customers are 1 weeks’ rent in arrears
• We will make a financial assessment for customers who are 2 weeks in arrears
• We will serve a Notice of Seeking Possession unless there are extenuating
  circumstances
• We will commence court action if payments continue to be unsatisfactory
• We will request a Postponed Possession Order at the Court Hearing (unless extenuating circumstances exist)
• We will ensure that all requests for eviction will be approved by the Chief Executive
• We will ensure that tenants where Eviction action is pending are offered assistance from support agencies such as Citizens Advice Bureaux and Shelter and Local Councils for Housing Advice.

An Appeals panel comprising three Board members, one Tenant representative, one Independent representative and one Council representative will be formed to assist in considering eviction appeals.

Except in extenuating circumstances, where there is a joint tenants as equally responsible for rent arrears. If you find yourself in rent arrears, do not ignore the problem. Please contact us without dely to discuss the situation so that appropriate arrangements can be made to resolve the situation.