More information about your rent
You must pay your rent from the first day of your tenancy. Rent becomes due every Monday, to cover the previous week and it's charged over 48 weeks (sometimes 49 depending on the number of Mondays in a year).
You can choose to pay your rent every week, every two weeks, or every four weeks. If you pay monthly, your payment will be for the two previous weeks and the next two following weeks.
There are four weeks when we don’t charge rent to your account. These are called non-chargeable weeks and they are at the beginning of April, August Bank Holiday, Christmas and New Year.
Non-chargeable rent weeks for 2026-2027:
week 1 - week commencing 6 April 2026
week 22 - week commencing 31 August 2026
week 38 - week commencing 21 December 2026
week 39 - week commencing 28 December 2026
To keep your rent account up to date, you should always pay it in the week it is due. Download the Rent Payment Record Card below to help keep a record of your payments.
What's included in my rent?
We charge you a total weekly rent for the property you live in. This is made up of your basic rent plus any additional charges:
Service charges
Some of our properties have extra services provided such as cleaning of communal areas, lighting of communal areas and grounds maintenance.
Heating and hot water charges
If you have communal heating you will be responsible for paying the costs for the energy you use. We use different charging methods depending on the scheme and how we measure usage. A range of payment options are provided.
Water charges
Some residents in our independent living schemes pay water rates with their rent. We pass this payment onto the water authority.
Frequently asked questions about rent
The government sets out how social rents should be calculated. This is called ‘formulae rent’ and is for the home, it doesn’t include any service charges.
The formula is based on:
the value of the home at 1999 valuation levels
the number of bedrooms
average national rents
average weekly earnings within South Yorkshire (set by the government)
There is flexibility for rents to be set up to 5% above the formulae rent.
Rents are reviewed every April. We give a minimum notice period of four weeks of any changes. You’ll be given a rent increase notice that will tell you what your current rent is and how much it will change.
You can appeal by:
calling us on 01226 787878
writing to us at Berneslai Homes Income team, PO Box 627, Barnsley, S70 9FZ
Your appeal must be against the way we’ve calculated your rent and not, for example, about any repair work or a dispute about benefits. If you appeal, you must carry on paying your rent while we look into your appeal. If you win your appeal, we’ll return any rent you’ve overpaid since the date of your appeal.
If we don’t agree with your appeal, we’ll ask the District Valuation Officer to review the rent we charge. However, this valuation may be higher and we would then have to increase your rent further.
When you move out of a Berneslai Homes property, the rent you’ve been paying has been charged weekly in arrears. This means you’ve been paying for living in the home the previous week. If you end your tenancy but leave rent outstanding, you’re still responsible for paying the debt.
If you're a current tenant, it's important to talk to us as soon as possible if you're struggling to pay your rent. We can look at your circumstances and work with you to find solutions - we're here to help.
Contact the Income team by:
calling us on 01226 787878
emailing income@berneslaihomes.co.uk
At Berneslai Homes, previous tenancy arrears are taken seriously. Former tenancy arrears will not be written off and will need to be paid. Even if they are not actively pursued, they will be kept on record and while the debt remains outstanding it will affect your eligibility to be rehoused in another council home.
If you owe us any rent when your tenancy ends, we’ll contact you by letter, phone, or email or we may visit your home. We’ll ask you to clear your account or agree to a repayment arrangement.
If you don’t leave a forwarding address, we may contact family members or your employer if we have their details.
If you don’t pay the debt in a reasonable time, there are a number of actions we can take:
If you’ve moved to another council home, we can transfer the debt.
We may ask a debt collection agency to collect the debt.
We may seek a court order against you. The options include a money judgement order, an attachment of earnings, or a charge against a property you own.
Legal action will cost you and affect your credit rating with catalogue / hire purchase companies.