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Landlord Information - Payments
This information is for landlords who have got
housing benefit or local housing allowance claiming
tenants.
How will you be paid?
If the tenant is paying you themselves then its up to you how
you take payment.
If the Council is paying on the tenants behalf (Housing
benefit) then we will send you regular payments of your
tenant's Housing Benefit by Direct Credit to your bank or building
society account. This is normally four weeks in arrears.
We will write to you to confirm the amount of benefit that your
tenant is entitled to. But we cannot tell you how this has been
worked out. That information is confidential to the tenant.
The tenant then has to make up the amount that's left.
This information may also apply to agents, however it will
depend on the nature of the contract between the landlord and the
managing agent.
What if a tenant doesn't pay?
If you know that your tenant is claiming benefit and they do not
pay you for eight weeks then you will need to fill in an
arrears form (PDF 42kb) and provide relevant proof of the tenant
being in arrears.
If you are a landlord whose tenant does not receive housing
benefit then you will need to contact the Citizens Advice
Bureau.
How do I get my rent back?
You will need to write to us advising us that you have not
received rent from your tenant in excess of eight weeks. You
will also need to include your:
- name
- address
- tenant name
- tenant's address
- housing benefit reference (if known)
Once we have received your letter we will stop making payments
to the tenant and start making payments to the landlord. We
would investigate into why you haven't been paid.
If the tenant was receiving housing benefits by cheque and has
not cashed them in, then we will cancel them and re-issue the
cheques to you.
If the tenant is being paid by direct debit or has cashed
in the cheques then it will be your responsibility to get the rent
that has been missed.
If it has been sometime and you still do not get your money,
please contact the Citizens Advice Bureau.
What if the tenant leaves?
We will need to know straight away in writing to
our Payments and
Benefits office. You will need to let us know:
- name
- address
- tenant name
- tenant's address
- housing benefit reference (if known)
- the date the tenant left
- a forwarding address (if one was left)
How will I know if my tenant is receiving housing benefit
We can only tell you if your tenant is receiving housing benefit
if they have ticked the box that says that we can disclose this
information to you. If this box has not been ticked then
unfortunately we cannot tell you.
What if I'm still getting paid housing benefit if my tenant has
left?
If you are a landlord or agent and you are receiving benefits
for a tenant that has already moved out, you need to tell us
straight away. We will then take back those
overpayments. Failure to let us know that a tenant has moved
out could result in court action.
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