Paying your rent | Berneslai Homes

Article: Paying your rent

How do I know what to pay?

We increase your rent once a year and we'll tell you in February what your rent is for the coming year. You will pay this new amount from April of every year.  To help you check your rent balance we will send you a rent statement twice a year.

Net rent is the largest part of your total rent and is the amount you pay us for living in your property. We assess your rent in line with Government guidance.  Some properties have services or facilities for which we make an extra charge for. The extra charge could be for:

• Heating and hot water - Some of our properties have a communal heating system where the heating and hot water comes from a central boiler. If you have communal heating we charge a fixed amount each week for the cost of this.
• Water charges - Some tenants usually in sheltered housing schemes, pay water rates with their rent. We pass this payment onto the water authority.
• Charges for services in Sheltered Housing Schemes- We make a weekly charge for any property where the warden and alarm service is a condition of your tenancy. We will tell you about the charges when we offer you a property and when you sign your tenancy agreement. 

How do you work my rent out?

We work your rent out using a formula set by the Government. The Government set this rule so that all housing providers work out their charges in the same way.

Your rent is based on the value of your property, the average wage for the area you live in and the number of bedrooms in the property.

If you want to appeal about the amount we charge you, you can do so in the following ways: 

• In person at your local Barnsley Connects Office 
• By phone to your local Barnsley Connects Office on Tel: 01226 775555.
• In writing to : Berneslai Homes-Rents, PO Box 627, Barnsley, S70 9FZ.           
• By e-mail to: rents@berneslaihomes.co.uk

Your appeal must be against the way your rent has been worked out and not about any repair work, housing benefits or any other matter. If you appeal you must continue to pay rent while we consider your appeal. If your appeal is successful we will refund you any amount you have over paid, dating back to the date you submitted your appeal. If a reassessment by the District Valuation Officer results in a higher valuation this will result in an increase in the rent we will charge you.

 When do I pay?

Your rent is due every Monday, for the previous week. This means if you pay your rent on Monday it covers the use of your home and services for last week.

To keep rent up to date, you should always pay in the week your rent is due.

We only charge you rent for 48 weeks out of each year. Sometimes it may be 49 weeks. This means that in a year you will have four weeks that you do not pay us rent. These are called 'rent-free weeks' The 'rent free weeks' fall at the beginning of April, August Bank Holiday, Christmas and the New Year. We will tell you when the free weeks are in each particular year.

How can I pay my rent?

You can pay your rent in one of many different ways. If you want to change the way you pay your rent just contact us and we will arrange everything for you. You can pay your rent weekly, fortnightly or monthly. We will only allow you to pay monthly if you keep your rent up to date.  If you pay monthly you will pay the rent two weeks in front and two weeks behind.

Methods of payment available

The easiest way to pay your rent is by Direct Debit. This way you do not have to worry about remembering to pay as the rent comes out of your current account once a month.

The benefits of paying by Direct Debit are:

• No more writing cheques or having to wait in a queue for a cash counter;
• Peace of mind that your rent has been paid;
• You have a choice of payment dates to suit you;
• Instalments are updated automatically so there is no need for you to tell your bank if your rent amount changes;
• We will always tell you at least 10 working days before we make changes to your payment amounts and dates;
• The efficiency and security of the scheme is monitored by your own bank or building society;
• You are free to cancel at any time;
• Direct Debit is the cheapest way for us to collect rent. These savings will be passed on to you in the form of better services.

You can download and complete a Direct Debit Mandate Form: 

• Paying your rent Direct Debit Form
• Paying your garage rent Direct Debit Form
• Paying insurance Direct Debit Form.

If you pay your rent by Direct Debit and maintain a clear rent account at all times you will be automatically entered into our Tenant Rent Incentive Scheme competition.  The prizes are:

• Direct Debit winner £250
• Clear rent account 1st prize £300, 2nd prize £200 and 3rd prize £100.

Other ways to pay your rent: 

By Swipe card

This is a payment card with a unique identification number.  You can only pay your rent with this card and it cannot be used to make payments to any other organisation or obtain details of your account.
This card allows you to pay your rent at a large variety of outlets. Just take the card to the counter with your payment. You will then be given a printed receipt as proof of your payment. We strongly urge you to retain this receipt as proof of amount paid and the date paid. The payment should be credited to your account within 2 working days.  The swipe card can be used at any outlet displaying one of the following signs:

Pay at any Post Office with cash, cheque or debit card.

  

 Pay at any Post Office with cash, cheque or debit card.

 

 Download the 'List of all PayPoint outlets Post Offices in Barnsley'.

Pay Online

You can pay over the internet via BMBC Bills Online. This service is available 7 days a week and 24 hours a day. We only accept Debit Card payments and not credit cards.

 By Telephone

You can call our automated service on (01226) 779397 and follow the simple steps. Please make sure that you have your debit card details and rent account payment reference at hand. 

Cheque or postal order

Please make your cheque payable to Barnsley MBC and ensure that you quote your rent account payment reference on the reverse of the cheque. Post your cheque to Barnsley MBC, PO Box 63, Barnsley, S70 2TJ.

Salary / Wage deduction

Employees of Berneslai Homes or Barnsley MBC can have their rent deducted from their salary. You will need to contact Payroll and have details to hand of payment reference amount to be deducted and your payroll number.

Payment by Post

Cash should NOT be sent through the post or dropped through the letterboxes at local Barnsley Connects offices. We will not accept responsibility for the security of payments made like this.

All payments by post should be made by cheque/postal order, cross A/C PAYEE ONLY and be made out to Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council. Please write your rent account reference number, or address, on the back of the cheque/postal order. The postal address is Barnsley M.B.C. PO Box 63, Barnsley. S70 2TJ.

Can I get help towards my rent and council tax?

Many tenants qualify for help towards some or all of their rent or council tax. You can check if you would qualify for any Housing and Council Tax benefit by using the Barnsley Council benefits calculator.

If you think you may qualify for some help you need to complete a Housing and Council Tax Benefit form. You can get a form from your local Barnsley Connects Office.

Or, if you prefer, we will post you one. Just e-mail us at housingassistants@berneslaihomes.co.uk

When you've filled your form in, you will have to take it to a Barnsley Connects Office. You will need to take with you two forms of identification and proof of all your income.

We will be able to help you fill the forms in and give you general advice.

If you want an explanation about how your benefit has been worked out, you will need to talk to Barnsley Connects staff. You can phone them on their help line - 01226 774743. Or visit your local Barnsley Connects Office.

If they are not able to resolve your query over the phone, they will make you an appointment to see a benefits expert, either at a local office or in Barnsley.

What will happen if I fall behind with my rent?

To help you check your rent balance we will send you a rent statement twice a year.

It is important that you pay your rent on time.

If you have difficulty paying your rent, it's better for you to tell us as soon as you can. The sooner you tell us the smaller the problem.

We will help you clear any debts by:

• making sure you are getting all the benefits you are entitled to; 
• offering you advice on how to budget and prioritise your debts; 
• making a sensible, affordable repayment plan so that you can repay what you owe.

Will you remind me if I do not pay my rent?

We start taking action when you have missed two weeks payments. If you pay monthly, we start after you have missed a month's payment.

We will contact you either by writing to you, phoning, sending you a text message or visiting you in your home and encourage you to talk to us to make a repayment agreement.

If you do not contact us or you do not make regular payments to reduce your arrears, we will take legal action against you. This could lead to you losing your home.

The first step of legal action is when we give you a Notice of Seeking Possession (NOSP), or a Notice of Possession Proceedings (NOPP) if you are an introductory tenant. This indicates the Council's intention to take back the property.

If this does not work and you are still behind with your rent the second step is to ask the court to make a decision. If we take you to court you will be responsible for the court costs, which are several hundred pounds.

If the judge agrees with us and you do not clear the debt you may lose your home.

Useful information

• Non-dependent charges 2012-13
• Your tenancy
• Tenancy Agreement
• I have been served a Notice of Possession proceedings  - What happens next? (This leaflet is for introductory tenants.) 
• I have been served a Notice of Seeking Possession - What happens next?

Leaflets and application forms are also available from your local Barnsley Connects Office.  Alternatively we can send you a form or leaflet in the post. Contact us by e-mail at Housingassistants@berneslaihomes.co.uk

Help and Advice

You can get advice from your local Barnsley Connects Office.  You can phone them on 01226 787878. If they cannot help you because specialist advice is needed they will contact the Rents Team for you.   

How you can help us

When you contact us have your rent account reference or Council Tax account reference to hand. If you cannot provide this information, we may not be able to help you. This is because we have to follow Data Protection rules and we can only discuss rent accounts with the tenant or the tenant's nominated representative.  If you talk to us about a relatives rent account, they will have to give us their permission to allow us to talk to you.

We may need to contact you about your account, so try to keep us up-to-date with your contact details and telephone number.

If you are waiting for a Housing Benefit assessment, you can help by making sure Housing Benefits have all the relevant information in order to process your claim.

Response Times / next steps 

We will make every effort to answer your enquiry immediately. If we cannot do this we will tell you how long it will take. If you are waiting for your Housing Benefit to be processed, please contact a Housing Benefit Officer who will advise you of the timescales involved. Please telephone (01226) 774743.

Legislation

• Housing Act 1985 
• Housing Act 1996