Our aim is to charge rents that are affordable.  We also aim to ensure that rent is paid on time.  We are here to assist you if you have any rent queries. If you fall behind with your rent we will provide prompt advice and help you establish a sustainable repayment agreement with us.

Our Income Collection Team is here to manage your rent account and assist you your enquiries.  They are responsible for the recovery of rent arrears from both current and former tenants.  This document outlines what we expect of you and the standards we will work hard to maintain.

For new residents we will…

• carry out a Pre-Tenancy Financial Assessment to ensure that residents will be able to sustain their tenancy
• assist residents in making Housing Benefit claims
• tell you about the different ways you can pay your rent
• advising tenants of our arrears policy and the consequences of not paying rent on time

For all residents we will…

• be polite and treat everyone fairly and with respect
• provide you with a range of payment options
• respond to you by the end of the next working day if no-one is available to deal with your call immediately
• send you a monthly rent statement showing all payments and charges to your account
• provide financial incentives for you to pay rent on time
• write to you in plain English (letters will bear the Crystal Mark)
• give advice on claiming a range of welfare benefits and tax credits to maximise your income and in complex cases refer to our in-house Welfare Rights Service Officer
• provide general help and advice on income and budgeting to help you remain debt free
• provide weekly ‘rent surgeries’ which we will publicise via the newsletters and monthly rent statements

For residents in rent arrears we will:

• make contact with you as soon as you fall into 2 weeks of arrears
• provide prompt advice on repaying the debt
• help set up a manageable repayment arrangement
• only take possession action when all other avenues have been explored and agreements to pay off the debt have been broken
• before taking legal action - always refer you to independent advice agencies such as a Citizens Advice Bureau or Legal Advice Centre

We will monitor these standards by

• Generating reports to review our performance monthly to ensure we answer calls quickly, reply to your enquiries effectively and arrange appointments with your Income Officer if you need one.
• Conduct regular surveys and focus groups asking for your feedback on your services, where they work well and how they can be improved.
• Review our policies and procedures and information regularly to ensure that they are written in plain English and are available in alternative languages and formats on request.
• Review any complaints lodged against us to learn from our mistakes and prevent problems re-occurring.
  Conduct mystery shopping exercises to assess customer facing aspects of all our services, and identify areas for improvement 

We expect you to…

• treat our staff with respect
• pay your rent on time
• take responsibility for your housing benefit claim if you have one
• contact us as soon as you encounter difficulty in paying your rent
• respond promptly to our letters and phone calls