Toggle menu

Council Housing Tenant Handbook

Paying your rent

The rent money we receive is very important as it pays for all the services we provide and for the upkeep, repair and maintenance of our properties including your home.

It is your responsibility to pay the rent weekly in advance in accordance with the conditions of your tenancy. If you have a joint tenancy, both parties are equally responsible/liable for payment of rent

Payment methods

We offer a range of payment methods for your convenience. We do recommend wherever possible to pay by Direct Debit as this is the most convenient way to ensure your rent is paid each month. Payment can be made by:

Monthly Direct Debit: Payments will be collected on either the 1st, 8th,15th, 21st or 28th of each month.

Credit/debit card: (by telephone) Use the 24-hour automatic payment line on 0300 456 0119 credit card payments will be subject to a 2% fee

Online: Use our secure online Rent payments service. ​​​We now accept PayPal

By post: Cheques should be made payable to Wiltshire Council and sent to: Housing Management, Wiltshire Council, Council House, Bourne Hill, Salisbury SP1 3UZ

In person at a Post Office: Use your rent payment card In person at the housing office Use your rent payment card, at The Council House, Bourne Hill between 8.30am and 5.30pm, Monday-Friday.

iHousing tenant portal: Wiltshire Council's iHousing tenant portal gives you access to a secure area where you can order and check repairs, view your rent statements and pay your rent online. You need a password to access this system. If you do not have one, you can complete a registration form online and we will send your personal login and secure password within five working days.

Direct debits

What is a direct debit?

  •  Direct debit is the simplest, safest and most convenient way to make regular payments like your rent.
  •  It saves time and effort as you don't need to remember to make the payment; you don't need to call us or go to the post office as it will be taken automatically.

Monthly direct debits

  • Rent payments can be collected on the 1st, 8th, 15th, 21st or 28th of each month; you can choose whichever date suits you.

Direct debit guarantee

  •  If there are any changes to your direct debit we will notify you 10 working days in advance.
  • If an error is made in the payment of your direct debit by Wiltshire Council or your bank, you are entitled to a full and immediate refund
  • You can cancel a direct debit at any time

What's the difference between a direct debit and standing order?

  •  Direct debits give us permission to take money from your bank account on an agreed date.
  •  Standing orders give the bank an instruction to pay us an exact amount regularly.

How do I set up a direct debit?

  •  Simply contact the income team to complete a direct debit mandate form; their details are on page 12
  • Be aware that if there is not enough money in your account to cover the direct debit your payment may be refused and you may get charged up to £25 by your bank.
  •  Some banks may not accept a direct debit instruction from certain types of accounts so check with them first if unsure.

Problems paying your rent?

If you are having difficulty paying your rent or general affordability issues please contact us immediately. We can help you and make sure you have the advice and assistance you need in order to deal with any issues and maintain your tenancy. We do not want to take legal action against anyone, which is why, if you are struggling to pay your rent, you should contact the income team as soon as possible on 0300 456 0117 - option 1.

The dedicated team of income officers are responsible for rent collection, and whilst part of their work is taking formal action against those in rent arrears, the focus of their role is actually arrears prevention. They have knowledge and access to sources of advice and support to which you can be referred. This can range from a referral to specialist debt team or training courses on budgeting and money management. We also have two tenancy sustainment officers within our income team who you can be referred to for some additional support. They can help with any financial worries, debt or budgeting difficulties and can offer advice on income maximisation and welfare benefits. This can be extremely helpful for those who are struggling on a low income or those in debt. It has proved effective for many tenants, not only maintaining their tenancy but also improving their general financial position.

It is important that you contact us if you have any concerns about paying your rent. If you miss rent payments or do not keep to repayment agreements, you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement and run the risk of losing your home. As soon as arrears appear on your account we will start our rent arrears procedure. We will remind you of the rent due but you should be aware that if you fail to make provisions to pay your rent we will take action through the courts to recover the arrears.

The court can:

  • Make a County Court Judgment (CCJ) against you which may affect your ability to get credit in the future, including a mortgage, credit card or loan, and you will also have to pay court costs on top of the rent arrears that you owe and, or;
  • Grant a Possession Order (PO) on your home which could lead to you losing your home and could also be liable for court cost

Tenancy sustainment service 

This service provides comprehensive in-house support to tenants who would otherwise be at risk of failing in their tenancies. Specialist tenancy sustainment officers work with tenants who may have financial worries, debt issues or vulnerabilities to help them to sustain their tenancies and encourage and facilitate their independence.

They can provide practical financial and budgeting advice as well as information and support on a wide range of issues including housing, welfare rights, personal finance and life skills. Officers will be happy to arrange home visits, meet tenants in council offices or offer support over the phone.

They offer one-to-one case management in key areas such as debt, income maximisation, banking and welfare benefits. This is especially beneficial at a time when there is a lot of change taking place, for example, the implementation of Universal Credit, the 2015 Budget announcements on welfare reform such as The Benefit Cap, and also the ongoing matters such as the Spare Room Subsidy (Bedroom Tax).

The service also supports prospective tenants through pre-tenancy assessments to maximise the success of tenancies that are taken up, including the delivery of pre-tenancy training. We want our tenants to know from the start what can be expected from Wiltshire Council as their landlord, and also what is expected of them as a tenant

Further information

If you would like more information on the new tenancy sustainment service, or would like to take advantage of the support on offer;

Tel: 0300 456 0117 - option 1

Email: housingtso@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)

Write to us or visit us: Housing Management, Wiltshire Council, Council House, Bourne Hill, Salisbury SP1 3UZ

We also operate drop-in sessions at the Friary Estate Office and the Bemerton Heath Estate Office every Wednesday 9am - 12pm.

The Rental Exchange

We believe our tenants should get recognition for paying their rent on time, the same way people who pay their mortgage do. That's why we've teamed up with Big Issue Invest, part of the well-known Big Issue group of companies, and Experian the UK's biggest credit reference agency, to bring you the Rental Exchange.

The exchange helps tenants to:

  • Create an online proof of identity - increasingly important when applying for goods or services
  • Build a positive credit history to help increase access to mainstream credit

A higher credit score means it may become easier to:

  •  Open or change bank accounts
  • Shop online
  • Receive better mobile phone rates
  • Receive better gas and electricity rates

You don't need to do anything to join the scheme, and you can opt out at any time. We will share your rent account details with Experian and your payment history will be added to your credit file in a secure and compliant way. When an application you make requires a credit or identity check you will have the best chance of your rent history being available to improve your credit score, and increase the chance of approval.

Sharing your tenancy record will enable Experian to assist other landlords and organisations to:

  • assess and manage any new tenancy agreements you may enter into
  • assess your financial standing to provide suitable products and services
  • manage existing accounts and review their suitability
  • contact you about accounts you hold and recovering debts you may owe
  • verify your identity to help them make decisions about services they offer
  • help prevent crime, fraud and money laundering

 We understand that in some circumstances there may be situations where you have fallen behind with your rent payments and where this is the case we will work with you to provide advice and support to help you get back on track.

Paying your rent on time will help you to build up a better credit history, which will make it easier for you to apply for cheaper products, services or bank accounts in the future.

For more information or to opt out of the scheme please contact the income team

For more information on paying your rent, The Rental Exchange or to set up a direct debit please contact our income team;

Tel: 0300 456 0117 - option 1

Email: housingincome@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)

Write to us or visit us: Housing Management, Wiltshire Council, Council House, Bourne Hill, Salisbury SP1 3UZ

Other sources of information and advice

Acorn Community Bank

Credit unions are community based local savings and loan schemes. Managed and run by trained volunteers, credit unions offer people who live or work in the area a chance to save regularly, by cash, standing order, payroll deduction or at a collection point, and to borrow at a reasonable rate of interest.

Website: Acorn Community Bank (opens new window)

Citizen's Advice Bureau

If you need advice on benefits or specialist debt advice, please contact the Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB) to get free confidential assistance with:

  • help to deal with your debts
  • information on what benefits you may be entitled to
  • help with budgeting/income maximisation
  • sign-post you to your local credit union to assist with safe saving and affordable borrowing
  • advice on welfare reform/dealing with the bedroom tax, council tax and universal credit
  • applying for assistance from charities

For practical, reliable information to help you solve your problems 24/7 visit: www.citizensadvice.org.uk (opens new window)

Tel: 03444 111 444

Address: Wiltshire Citizens Advice, Five Rivers Health and Wellbeing Centre, Hulse Road, Salisbury SP1 3NR

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday - 10am to 3pm

Housing and council tax benefits

Revenues service

Revenues service, Wiltshire Council, Collections - Council tax, P.O. Box 4385, Trowbridge, BA14 4DS

Tel: 0300 456 0109

Email: counciltax@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)

Benefits service

Benefits service, Wiltshire Council, Monkton Park, Chippenham, SN15 1ER

Tel: 0300 456 0110

Email:benefits@wiltshire.gov.uk (opens new window)

National Debt Line

Freephone helpline open from 9am - 9pm Monday to Friday and 9.30am - 1pm on Saturday

Tel: 0808 808 4000

Website: National Debtline (opens new window)

Shelter

Free housing advice helpline: 0808 800 4444

Website: england.shelter.org.uk (opens new window)

The Money Advice Service

Free impartial advice service - an independent service set up by government

Tel: 0300 500 5000

Website: moneyadviceservice.org.uk (opens new window)

Turn2Us

Make sure your tenancy is sustainable by ensuring you maximise your income. You can check you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to by looking on the Turn2Us website.

Turn2us is a free service that helps people in financial need to access welfare benefits, charitable grants and other financial help - online, by phone and face to face through partner organisations.

Tel: 0808 802 2000 (9am - 8pm Monday - Friday)

Website: www.turn2us.org.uk (opens new window)

Share this page

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share by email