I am on a low income and cannot afford to pay the rent, what should I do?

Please contact us straight away, we have trained officers who can check if you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to. We can also help if you are having problems organising your income or refer you to independent organisations for help if you wish.

What should I do if I get into arrears?

Again, contact us straight away, the sooner you contact us the better. If you can’t clear your account we will be able to help you. Generally the longer you leave the problem the worse it gets. We want to help you so that we can avoid taking action but we can only do this if you contact us.

How can I pay my rent?

 See all our payment methods

Rent is charged weekly, but can I pay monthly?

Your rent is due weekly in advance as per your tenancy agreement. However, you can pay fortnightly or monthly for example, but you must pay in advance so that you account does not go into arrears.

How often are statements automatically sent out?

You will receive a statement of your rent account every three months. It is important you check your statement to make sure you are up to date. However, you don’t need to wait, if you need to see a copy of your statement or you just want to check your balance, just give us a call.

I have received a statement and it looks like I am in arrears but I am on housing benefit?

Housing Benefit is usually paid every four weeks and in arrears. You need to check when the last Housing Benefit payment was received for your balance. We have to show details about charges and all types of payment onto your rent account; this can sometimes look complicated so we provide an explanation on the reverse. If you have any queries about your rent statement balance please contact us.

How is my rent set?

All housing associations are now setting their rents in the same way - by using a “formula” based on the Government restructuring framework the following criteria is considered:

• The value, condition and location of the property
• Average income in the county
• The number of bedrooms

The aim of using this formula is that similar properties in the same area will be charged a similar rent by 2012. Housing associations are required to calculate the annual increases to achieve this over the ten year period from 2002. Housing associations calculate the target rent for each property using the formula and data set out in the Guide to Social Rent Reforms (DTLR, December 2000).

Rent Increases

Your rent is increased every year and the details are set out in your tenancy agreement. The increase is based on the September Retail Price Index plus 0.5%. If you are currently paying below the Target Rent for your property, you may have an additional increase of up to £2.00 per week.

What happens if I don’t pay my rent?

Payment of your Rent is classed as a 'Priority' which means that it must come first in your list of outgoings. This is because non payment can result in you being evicted from your home. You must contact us if you have any changes in your circumstances that may affect the payment of your rent on 0800 916 1422.

Whilst we try to do everything in our power to prevent this by helping you, rent payments are your responsibility and it is you and your family that will loose your home. Although evictions are few, they do happen as non payment of rent is not an option for any of our residents.

What happens if you decide to take court action against me?

The Association would issue you with a Notice of Seeking Possession stating clearly the grounds for serving the notice. We would encourage you to seek independent advice to ensure that you are getting all the assistance to prevent this happening. This gives you a limited time to address the situation and contact the Association to enable them to consider your circumstances. If you fail to contact us or stick to the terms of any arrangements made then we would apply for a Court Hearing. You will be liable for the court fees which can be up to £150. The judge will then decide what sort of order to make as follows:

• adjourn the case and give a date for a new hearing (this is known as an Adjournment)
• agree to an eviction date being set (Outright Possession Order)
• allow you to stay in your home while you stick to a repayment plan if you owe us rent (Suspended or Postponed Possession Order).

What happens if I am evicted?

The Association has a duty to notify Social Services and the Homeless Persons team within your local authority area to provide assistance. It is your responsibility to request help. You may experience difficulty in the future of being re-housed. You should also be aware that the Association will continue to pursue all outstanding rent arrears, court costs and any other debts incurred during the tenancy. We will consider using third party debt collection agencies.

Can I have my Housing Benefit paid directly to the Association?

Yes - but you will have to inform your local Housing Benefit office of your request. People often find this the easiest way to have their housing benefit paid, the association is assured of payment and you do not have the hassle of receiving the cheque, paying it into your bank and making sure the rent is paid in advance.

What advice can I get?

We would advise anyone facing difficulties with debt problems to contact the National Debtline on 0808 808 4000 they are able to offer free, confidential and independent advice. They can also offer assistance and provide you with further contacts should you require more specialist advice.
There are many organisations who offer free advice such as your local Citizens Advice Bureau please contact the Income Recovery Team who will be happy to provide you with details of your local contacts on 0800 916 1422 .

Do not ignore the help and assistance that is on offer, eviction can be a painful process. We do everything we can to work with anyone who may be providing you with support.

I am a tenant of Sanctuary Group, how can I move to another home?

Start by contacting Sanctuary Hereward to request a housing application pack. We can advise you at this stage about where Sanctuary Group manage homes. Completed and return your housing application form; our lettings staff will then assess your housing need following Sanctuary’s Lettings Policy and Procedure. We will advise you which housing need band you have been placed in give a broad indication about how long you may be waiting for re housing by Sanctuary.

All tenants wishing to move should also apply for re housing directly to the local Council in the area they wish to live. This is because at least 50% of homes managed by Sanctuary Hereward are allocated from a Council housing waiting list.

I am not currently a tenant of Sanctuary Group but would like to join you housing waiting list.

Please contact Sanctuary Hereward to ask what waiting lists are open for direct applicants to join. We do not always have open waiting lists because in some areas Sanctuary Hereward owns or manages only a small number of homes or the number of properties that become empty within a 2 year period is very low.

By applying directly to the local Council in the area they wish to live you may be offered a home managed by Sanctuary Hereward. This is because at least 50% of homes managed by Sanctuary Hereward are allocated from a Council housing waiting list.

What is Choice Based Lettings?

Some local Council’s allocate their homes through Choice Based Lettings (CBL). This is a new way of lettings homes where available homes are advertised for a set period of time and housing applicants ‘bid’ for a property they are would like to move to. At the end of the advertising period all the ‘bidders’ for a property are sorted into a shortlist with the applicant with the highest housing end at the top. The applicant at the to of the shortlist is then offered the property.

Each CBL scheme works in slightly different way; if you would like more information about CBL in the area you want to live, please contact the local Council or look at their website.

In East Cambridgeshire the housing waiting list is managed by Sanctuary Hereward on behalf of the local Council. You can apply to join the housing register by contacting Sanctuary Hereward direct or going to www.home-link.org.uk.

What is a mutual exchange?

Mutual exchange is another way for housing association or council tenants to move and is where two tenants ‘swap’ homes after getting permission to do this from their landlord. Many local Council’s hold a list of housing association or council tenants who are looking for a mutual exchange; please check this with the local Council in the area you wish to move to. There are also a number of websites that advertise mutual exchanges; some you may wish to look at are (please note these websites are all operated independent of Sanctuary Group and the Group does not endorse any specific site):

www.homeswapper.co.uk

www.council-exchange.org

www.ukhomeswap.co.uk

My neighbours loud music is causing a nuisance to me, what should I do?

Firstly speak to you neighbour to explain that you can hear their loud music and ask that the volume is turned down or that they move the speakers away from a wall that is adjoining your home. Your neighbour may not have realised that their music could be heard within your home.

This same approach could be used for a wide range of other problems, such as noise form DIY, storage of rubbish, parking, dog barking and the playing of ball games.