Renting a property - homeless prevention

If you are having trouble paying your rent, there are options available to help you.

The earlier you get advice, the more chance you have of finding a solution to suit you and your landlord.

Falling behind on your rent

Rent arrears may be caused by something as simple as an oversight to renew a Housing Benefit or Local Housing Allowance claim or where the claim has been suspended due to information about income or circumstances not being returned.

Whether an oversight, financial or personal issue, you need to act quickly to try and sort out the problem.

For general information such as tenant responsibilities and rights please read assured and assured shorthold tenancies (PDF, 475 KB). 

Help and support

The following options may help you meet your rent payments and avoid court action:

Housing advice services

We can help you with your claim by liaising with the landlord to see what arrangements can be made to stop any further action. Referrals to Welfare Benefits and Debt Advice may also be appropriate.

We will always try to offer you as much help and support as possible to prevent you losing your home due to rent arrears.

Local Housing Allowance (LHA)

If you are struggling to pay your rent, you may be entitled to LHA. You may even qualify if you are working.

LHA is used to work out how much Housing Benefit you will receive if you rent your home from a private landlord.

The amount you receive depends on the number of bedrooms you and your family need and where you live.

To find out if you qualify see Local Housing Allowance.

Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP)

DHP is a short term top up award to help tenants overcome a problem to pay rent. We can assist you with making an application for the Discretionary Housing Payment.

Court action and possession hearings

If you are facing possession hearings at Preston County Court, we can:

• offer advice on the situation
• accompany you at the hearing
• speak for you in the hearing to give details as to why the arrears
• arose and the steps that can be, or are being, taken to deal with them

Payment proposals might be agreed or extra time sought to find other accommodation. Remember, the sooner you approach us, the better chance we have of stopping or delaying eviction.

Notice to Quit

We can advise about the validity of a notice to quit and contact the landlord to attempt to see if the tenancy can continue and inform them about the correct procedures to be followed to obtain possession.

It is unlawful for a landlord to evict a tenant without going through the correct procedures.

A court order is required in order to obtain possession. Please contact us if you are concerned about the actions of your landlord or their agent. You can contact us on 01772 906412 or by emailing housing@preston.gov.uk. 

Finding another home

If you are unable to stay in your existing property due to financial or personal issues, see find a home for advice on renting more affordable accommodation privately or through a housing association.

Homeless eligibility assessment

If you are unable to stay in your existing property and are at risk of becoming homeless, we may be able to help you find accommodation through our homeless eligibility assessment.