COVID-19 and Rent Arrears

 How We Can Help

  • 1 in 8 renters are in debt to their landlords, and millions more are worried about losing their income and their job.

  • Most renters have lost some of their income due to the pandemic and are becoming increasingly worried about losing their home.

  • Since the ban on possession action was lifted in September, we are being notified of possession hearing dates from January next year. This means that the courts will be clearing the backlog over the next few months, in expectation of a large increase in landlords claiming possession. If your landlord was taking possession against you before the pandemic, and the case was halted, do get in touch with us straight away so we can advise you what it likely to happen next.

  • We know that some landlords are trying to take the law into their own hands and harassing tenants to leave, or even changing the locks. Any landlord who tries to force their tenants to leave by actions other than applying to court is committing a criminal offence. If you face this situation, get advice from us as soon as you can.

  • Like most businesses, private landlords want to make a profit, so they’ll be wanting to evict tenants who find themselves in rent arrears, even if it’s through no fault of their own.

However in most cases landlords need to give tenants six months’ notice (this period will be reviewed in March 2021), so there is time for tenants to get help and find out what their options are.

Our Four Part Solution

Advice for Renters has a package of support for those who find themselves in rent arrears and want help to think through what their options are, to avoid finding themselves without a home.

We are uniquely placed to help because we are the only legal advice agency which is geared to helping private renters and we have a range of complementary services to support our legal team.

Our COVID-19 rent arrears package includes;

 

Legal Advice

It all begins with an interview with a legal adviser to talk through your legal position. For example, if your landlord has served a s.21 (no fault) notice, we can check it for technical mistakes or omissions that will make it invalid.

If arrears are claimed against you, we can check if you have a counterclaim, for any defects in your home, for example, or for not protecting your tenancy deposit properly and on time.

 

Mentoring

We have a cohort of trained volunteer mentors for those who need a bit of moral or practical support while they get through this rough patch.

Money Advice

For those who might need money advice, we can advise on personal budgets and how your expenditure could be reduced. We also have energy experts, who may be able to help you reduce your energy bills.

For those expecting income to increase when a furlough period ends or find another job, we also advice on low interest loans, possibly through our own Credit Union branch, Brent Mutual.

 

Tech

We are also working with our tech partner Mortar on a free innovative app which will provide easy access to a range of support to cope with rent arrears and help to get you back on track.

As a renter, the app will link you to debt advice agencies, local authorities and the ethical lending community; providing a caseworking platform that supports the creation of payment and debt management plans with landlords and creditors.