If you don’t have enough money to pay your rent, or you’re behind with your payments, there are things you can do.
Here, we explain what help is available for renters in the UK.
If you can’t pay your rent
It’s important to contact your landlord (or lettings agent if you live in a managed property) as soon as possible to discuss your options.
They are not obliged to offer support, but they might give you some extra time to pay or reduce your monthly payments.
Before calling, you should put together a budget that outlines what you can and can’t afford. This will show your landlord or letting agent you’re serious about getting back on track.
If you’ve already missed a payment
You must contact your landlord or letting agent immediately if you’re in rent arrears. If you fail to pay your rent, you might be evicted.
In your conversation with your landlord or letting agent, you should try to explain why you’ve missed a payment and indicate whether you can pay something towards the rent now.
It’s a good idea to check your bank statements and any other written records of your rent payments. If you don’t have this, ask your landlord for a statement so you know exactly what you owe.
Your landlord or letting agent doesn’t have to negotiate with you, but they may agree to a repayment plan. This would involve you settling the amount owed within an agreed timeframe.
If your landlord or letting agents agrees to a repayment plan, write it down and sign it. Getting them to sign it too is advantageous, so it’s clear what you’ve both agreed to.
If you can’t afford to pay back your rent arrears
Tenants struggling with debt in the UK may be able to qualify for government schemes to help them.
In England and Wales, there is the Debt Respite Scheme – also known as Breathing Space.
If approved, your landlord or letting agents won’t be able to take any enforcement action against you for 60 days.
That means your creditors can’t:
- Contact you about your arrears
- Make you pay your arrears
- Add interest or extra charges to your arrears
If you get into further arrears, your landlord can still contact you about those. You’ll usually only be able to get breathing space once every 12 months.
If you live in Scotland, you can apply for a moratorium, which gives you similar protection from legal action over unpaid debts but for six weeks.
You might also be able to get extra money to help pay your rent through government benefits. You could be eligible for Universal Credit if you:
- Are on a low income, depending on your circumstances
- Have savings below £16,000
- Rent a home
- Live in the UK
A mental health crisis breathing space is also available for those receiving mental health crisis treatment, and it has some stronger protections.
It lasts as long as the person’s mental health crisis treatment, plus 30 days (no matter how long the crisis treatment lasts).
Other benefits to help you
If you, and your partner if you’ve got one, have reached state pension age, you’ll have to claim Housing Benefit rather than Universal Credit. You can also claim this if you’re in supported, sheltered, or temporary housing.
If you’re already receiving benefits, the government might send you a “cost of living payment”. You can check your eligibility here.
You could also pay your arrears out of your benefit payments, which could help you with negotiations with your landlord as they’ll be confident they will get all their money.
You can ask for arrears to be paid from your benefits if you get Housing Benefit or the housing costs part of Universal Credit. You usually need to owe at least eight weeks rent to qualify.
There’s also a discretionary housing payment (DHP) you could qualify for if you already get Universal Credit or Housing Benefit. You can ask your local council – via their website – for a DHP claim form.
Where to get free advice
There are several free advice websites run by charities that can help you with budgeting and planning:
You can also get specialist advice about rent payments or the prospect of eviction from independent experts:
