If a tenant falls behind with their rent, the Community Gateway Association will treat them fairly and take into account any difficulties they may have.

The Community Gateway Association doesn't want anyone to lose their home. At the same time, we can't ignore rent arrears; they make it more expensive to manage and maintain homes for everyone else.

If you fall into rent arrears, we will contact you by phone, home visit or letter to advise you of the debt. We will help you make arrangements to pay back the debt, taking into account your financial circumstances.

If you are in rent arrears, and do not contact the CGA or respond to our letters/phone calls/home visits, we will take action to recover the money owed. This could result in you losing your home.

Failure to make payments and respond to requests for contact could lead to a Notice of Seeking Possession. This is the first stage in the legal process to evict someone from their home. If the arrears haven't been cleared or a repayment plan agreed 28 days later, the CGA will apply to the County Court to repossess the property.

Get help to deal with debt

What all this means is that if you're struggling to pay your rent, it's really important to contact our Rent Recovery Team. The longer you ignore your debts, the worse the problem will get.

Our specialist team can advise you on ways to pay your rent, and help you set up a repayment plan if your account is in arrears.

Sometimes people struggle to pay their rent because they're not claiming money that they are entitled to. The CGA employs a Welfare Benefit Advisor, who can give advice on benefits you might qualify for. To get a free benefit 'health check', please contact them on 0800 953 0213 between 9.00am and 5.00pm. Or view our debt advice links page for details of organisations who may be able to provide help or support.