You are responsible for paying your rent in full and on time. Your rent is due every Monday and is payable over 48 weeks in the year. Each year we will send you a rent payment calendar which shows the dates on which rent is due and those weeks which are rent free.

When you become a tenant you will receive a rent payment card - this gives your rent account reference and you need to keep it safe. Take a note of your rent reference number in case the card is mislaid. We can accept weekly, fortnightly or monthly rent payments.

Ways to Pay Your Rent:

By direct debit

Paying by direct debit enables you to pay your rent or service charges regularly through your bank or building society without having to worry about any changes in the amount you need to pay.

The benefits of direct debit include:

When your rent or service charge changes we arrange for the direct debit amount to be changed. We will give you 10 days' notice when this happens which gives you time to raise any queries with us.
No worries about remembering to pay on time.
A choice of payment dates - your rent can be taken from your bank or building society account on either 5th or 20th of each month.
No need to write and post cheques.
No need to queue at the bank, building society or Post Office.
You are always in control - you are free to cancel at any time.

To arrange payment by direct debit telephone the Housing Department on 01323 443373 to request an application form. Complete the form and return it to the Housing Department, Council Offices, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 2AX.

By standing order

A standing order is an agreement between you and your bank whereby you authorise the bank to pay a set amount of money on a specific date to someone. The amount taken from your bank always remains the same.

If there is a change in the amount of rent you need to pay you will need to contact your bank to update your payment sum. To arrange payment by standing order contact the Housing Department on 01323 443322 to request a standing order mandate form. You will need to complete the form and return it to your bank.

At post offices

You can pay at any Post Office branch with your rent payment card. Please make sure you keep your receipt. You should ensure that you pay no later than the Wednesday of the payment week or your account may show arrears.

By post

Rent payments should be sent to the Housing Department, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex BN27 2AX. Please do not send cash, only cheques or postal orders. Please make cheques payable to Wealden District Council. Please write your rent payment reference and address on the back of the cheque.

By telephone

You can use your debit card to pay your rent over the telephone. Call 01323 443373 Monday to Friday between 8.30am and 4.30pm and speak to a member of the rents team.

Online Payment

You can now pay your council rent using our online service.

What should I do if I lose my rent card?

If you lose your rent card please contact the Housing Department to request another on 01323 443373. A replacement card will be mailed out to you - this will take about two weeks to arrive.

How can I check my rent account details?

Four times a year we will send you a rent statement. We can only give out rent account information to the named tenant. If you are a sole tenant there are legal restrictions on giving out information to family or friends.

The statement will give a breakdown of rent due, payments made and the balance of your account. Any payments made after the date on which the statement is printed will not be shown on that statement.

To request a statement of your account telephone the Housing Department on 01323 443373 - the statement can be posted to you.

What happens if I over-pay my rent?

Contact the Housing Department so we can check your account details. In certain circumstances we will refund the over payment by cheque. Requests for rent refunds need to be made in writing to the Housing Department.

Service Charges - What do they cover?

Some Wealden tenants pay a "service charge" within their rent. This is to pay for any other services like heating, caretaking, communal lighting, gardening, lifts, window cleaning and door entry. We review the service charges each year and you will be informed of any changes.

What happens if I have difficulties paying my Rent?

By not paying your rent you are in breach of your tenancy agreement and are at risk of losing your home.

If you are experiencing financial difficulties it is important to seek help quickly - delay can lead to the situation becoming worse. Help is available - contact your housing officer who can provide advice. There may be sources of help available including Housing Benefit.

We use a variety of ways to help tackle rent arrears - these include coming to an arrangement to clear the debt by installments or arranging an attachment to earnings.

What happens if I do not keep to my rent agreement?

If you are a secure tenant and fail to keep to an agreement to pay off your arrears you will be served with a Notice of Seeking Possession. This will advise you that the Council will commence court proceedings if you fail to make satisfactory payments or clear the account.

If you are a non-secure tenant and fail to meet your rent responsibilities you will be served with a Notice to Quit.

What happens if I am given notice to attend Court?

If the rent arrears are not cleared or reduced to our satisfaction we can apply to the court for a Possession Order. You should seek legal advice and attend the hearing.

If agreement is reached on paying the arrears by installments and you keep to the agreement the court may grant us a suspended Possession Order. You may be liable for the costs of the court hearing.

Can I be evicted for rent arrears?

If you persistently fall into rent arrears and do not keep to agreements to pay the arrears we can apply to the court for a warrant to evict you. We can do this if you break the terms of a suspended Possession Order or if the court gives us an immediate Possession Order.

If you have lost your home through rent arrears you may be classed as being intentionally homeless. This could mean that you would not be re housed - you would only receive housing for a temporary period.