Contents

Introduction

The Housing Advice Unit at Waltham Forest Housing Services gives free advice on housing matters to all residents within the borough.

If you are experiencing problems you should get advice. You can do this by contacting the Housing Advice Unit, Citizens Advice Bureau or a solicitor specialising in housing.

When you seek advice, you should take any documentation that is relevant to your case. For example, your original tenancy agreement, court papers, correspondence from your landlord, housing benefit, or solicitor. Even if you do not have any papers, you should still get advice.

When reading this information, it is important to remember that the laws concerning housing and welfare rights are very complicated. The information here cannot explain everything; it is intended to provide a guide to enable you to exercise your rights.

Before you move into rented accommodation, you will have agreed with your landlord how much your rent is and whether you will pay the rent weekly, fortnightly, monthly or quarterly. Details of your rent should be contained in a written agreement if you have one. If you do not have one, then the rent you agreed at the start of the tenancy with your landlord is the rent you legally have to pay.

Rights on rent

There are rules on how much rent your landlord can charge and how and when it can be increased. The rent you pay and what you can do if your rent goes up will depend on the type of tenancy or license agreement you have. If you want to know what your security of tenure is, seek advice from the Housing Advice Unit.

Can I have a rent book?

By law a landlord has to provide a rent book to somebody who pays rent weekly, unless the rent includes a substantial payment for meals.

The rent book must contain:

  • The name and address of the landlord and the landlord's agent if there is one
  • The amount of rent to be paid
  • Description of the property for rent

If you pay rent weekly and your landlord fails to provide you with a rent book or the required information, they have committed an offence and in some cases may be prosecuted by the Council. If you ask your landlord for a rent book with this information but they do not give it to you, you should contact the Tenancy Relations Service by telephone on 020 8496 3000.

If you do not pay rent weekly you are not entitled to a rent book. However, you should make sure you get receipts for your rent, or pay by cheque or standing order to prove you have paid.

If the landlord refuses to take your rent

You should seek advice urgently, because your landlord may try to evict you for non-payment of rent. You should put the rent in a separate account and tell the landlord in writing that you will give it to them as soon as they will accept it - keep a copy of the letter.

If you are claiming Housing Benefit, you could write to the Housing Benefit Section explaining the problems you are having and ask them to keep the money aside until your landlord asks for it.

You should copy any letters that you write, and keep them safe because you may need to show them at court.

Rent and disrepair

You should never stop paying rent because of repair problems unless you are advised to by a specialist solicitor or an advice agency who is acting on your behalf.

If your landlord starts possession proceedings because you have rent arrears, sometimes you may be able to put in a counter claim because of the disrepair.

Other tenant's rent

If you have a joint tenancy (where more than one person shares a tenancy), and the other people move out, unless the agreement states otherwise, you will have to pay their part of the rent as well as your own. You may be able to negotiate with your landlord to find somebody else to move in to the property so that you do not have to pay the extra rent yourself.

As soon as you know that your joint tenant intends to move out, you should get advice.

Pressure from your landlord

If your landlord is putting pressure on you because you owe rent, you should never ignore it.

You should:

  • Get advice by calling 020 8496 3000 and asking for the Housing Advice Unit.
  • If you are waiting to receive housing benefit you should find out what is happening with your claim and ask what extra information, if any, is needed. If your landlord has given you a 'Notice Requiring Possession' or a summons, bring this into the Housing Advice Unit and we will seek to fast track your housing benefit claim in order to prevent homelessness.
  • If you receive a summons to go to court, or your landlord is harassing you or threatening to evict you, contact the Housing Advice Unit at once.

If you do not pay your rent on time or you fall into arrears, you could risk losing your home because your landlord can take legal action against you.

What is housing benefit?

For information about Housing Benefit including who can claim, how to apply and what to do if your payments are incorrect, please visit the Housing Benefit pages

Leaflets online

There is a full range of Housing Services leaflets available here.

These leaflets are all available free of charge, by downloading from this website, by post or in person from our office.

The text for this web page has been adapted from the Rent and Housing Benefit Problems leaflet.

Contact us

Housing Services

Cedar Wood House
2d Fulbourne Road
Walthamstow  E17 4GG  (map)

Tel: 020 8496 3000
Fax: 020 8496 5431

Opening hours
9am – 4.30pm Monday to Thursday
10am – 4.30pm Friday