Your rent
Your rent is reviewed on an annual basis and any changes usually take effect on the first Monday in January. Legally we must give you 28 days notice of a change in your rent and the amount we are able to increase it by is controlled by the Government.
However if you have a secure tenancy, your increase will take place every 2 years and is governed by the independent Fair Rent Office
If you have any questions on how your rent is calculated please contact the Housing Officer on 01730 263589.
Service Charges
In some properties we provide a number of services in addition to those covered by the rent. We are able to recover the estimated annual cost of these services by adding a service charge to the weekly rent. These are known as ‘fixed’ service charges and we amend them accordingly on an annual basis. We will notify you of the charges for the coming year when we send you notification of your rent increase. We will ensure that you have a full breakdown of the charges.Examples of such charges are as follows:
- Grounds maintenance of communal areas.
- Cleaning of communal areas e.g. lobbies of flats.
- Lighting of communal areas.
If you have any questions on what services are charged to your property and/or how it is calculated please contact the Housing Officer on 01730 263589.
How to Pay your Rent
Your rent is charged on a weekly basis every Monday and in accordance with your tenancy agreement, is payable in advance.You can pay your rent:
- In person at our office at 32 Lavant Street, Petersfield and pay by cash or cheque (please make cheques payable to Petersfield Housing Association or PHA)
- By Direct Debit or Standing Order (please pick up a form from our office)
- By Electronic Banking
- By post (please do not send cash in the post)
For further advice about these methods of payment please contact your Housing Officer on 01730 263589.
Importance of Paying your Rent
Paying your rent must be your first financial priority. Paying your rent is not optional.When you accept your tenancy, you sign a legal agreement to abide by the terms and conditions laid out in your Tenancy Agreement, including ensuring that your rent is paid on time and that your rent account does not fall into arrears
If you fail to keep to any of these conditions you will be in breach of your tenancy agreement and Petersfield Housing Association may take further legal action which could result in you losing your home.
If there is more than one tenant, both are equally responsible for the rent and any arrears which may be due. This is called being ‘jointly and severally liable’ for any debts. If one tenant leaves the property, but still remains a joint tenant they will still be liable until their name has been removed from the tenancy, even though they may no longer live there. Tenants wishing to make changes to their tenancy should discuss this in the first instance with the Housing Officer or seek independent legal advice.
Experiencing Financial Difficulty?
There may come a time where you might find yourself experiencing financial difficulties. It is important to remember that you must not ignore the situation but ask for help instead.If you cannot pay your rent on time or pay the correct amount or fall behind with your payments you must contact the Housing Officer immediately on 01730 263589, who will then be able to help you with your finances and if appropriate agree on a repayment plan.
So, please remember: if you are having difficulty paying your rent, do not delay;
contact us straight away – we will be able to help.
