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Whoever signed your Tenancy Agreement is responsible for paying the rent for your home.
As a tenant, you have a responsibility to pay your rent and other charges regularly and promptly.
Payment methods
Direct Debit
Direct Debit remains the most convenient method for paying your rent.
Direct Debits are paid straight from your bank account.
Payments are made automatically, so bills are never forgotten, lost in the post or delayed by postal problems.
Payments are spread equally over the year. If the amount changes, the Direct Debit will automatically change your monthly payment amount for you.
If your Direct Debit changes you will be sent a letter telling you about this before the new payment is collected.
One of our Customer Service Assistants will be pleased to help you arrange to pay by Direct Debit.
Online
Through a secure payments server.
Standing Order
Standing Orders are taken straight from your bank account. The main difference between Standing Order and Direct Debit is that with a Standing Order
you have to tell the bank when the amount you pay changes. With Direct Debit we tell the bank about the changes for you.
You should also allow three working days for payments made by Standing Order to reach your rent account.
By telephone
Our automated telephone payment service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - telephone 0300 4562723 to make a payment.
Payments can also be made over the phone by calling us on 01709 336009.
In person
Payments can be made at Customer Service Centres.
Payments can be made in cash, by debit or credit cards, by cheque or postal order.
Always quote your name, address and rent account number with your payment.
At the Post Office
Take your rent card, which must contain a printed barcode, along with your method of payment (cash, cheque or debit card)
to any Pay Point Outlet or Post Office.
You will be given a receipt which you should keep.
Payments made at a Pay Point Outlet or Post Office should be made at least five working days before the instalment is due.
By post
By cheque or postal order payable to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and addressed to Revenue Services,
Riverside House, Main Street, Rotherham, S60 1AE.
Please quote your Rent Account Reference Number along with your name and address.
A receipt will not be posted unless specifically requested and unless you include a stamped addressed envelope when posting your payment.
You should never send cash through the post.
Help towards paying your rent
You may be entitled to Housing Benefit to cover your full rent or part of it.
It is your responsibility to make sure you get the claim registered with the Housing Benefit Team.
If you do not get enough benefit to pay your full rent, or the benefit does not cover all the weeks of your tenancy, you will need to pay the rest.
Please advise your Housing Benefit Team straight away if your personal circumstances change.
failure to do so may affect your claim and you may be overpaid benefits which you will have to pay back.
You can only claim Housing Benefit if you are living in your property.
What does the rent pay for
We are careful when deciding how to use the rent you pay.
Your rent pays for:
• Repairs to your home and planned maintenance such as replacing windows or putting in new kitchens
• The housing management services we provide.
Your rent account
If you want details of your rent account please contact us. We will be pleased to send you a statement at any time.
Rent rises
At the beginning of your tenancy we tell you how much your rent is in your Tenancy Agreement. We normally change your rent once a year in April.
We will never change your rent without telling you about it in writing at least four weeks in advance.
Falling behind with your rent
Please tell us as soon as you have any problems paying the rent. We will do our best to help you to sort the problem out.
If you don’t contact us we will write to you when you miss a payment. Our letter will ask you to get in touch.
Please do not ignore us as we will do all we can to help you. We want to keep rents as low as possible and we want to provide high-quality services,
so we must do everything we can to collect your rent.
This includes taking action in the Courts if we cannot reach an agreement with you to repay any money you owe us.
In very serious cases this can mean you face being evicted. Please don’t ignore the problem as you risk losing your home.
The Housing Benefit Team may reduce the weekly amount of credit paid on to your rent account if you have an over payment of benefit.
You will be responsible for paying any difference in rent as a result of this.
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