Paying your rent
Pay your rent online
We accept the following debit cards
Other ways to pay your rent
The easiest way to pay your rent is to set up a direct debit. We will then automatically collect your rent from your bank account on a regular basis. We can setup the direct debit so it comes out of your bank account every week, every fortnight, every 4 weeks or on a set date each month.
To set up a direct debit, please contact us on 0800 652 8104 (freephone).
We can issue you with an Allpay payment card so that your can pay your rent. If you’d like an Allpay payment card, please contact us on 0800 652 8104 (freephone).
Once you have an Allpay card there are three different ways you can use it to pay your rent:
- You can use your Allpay card to pay your rent at any PayPoint outlets your find these at your local Post Office and other locations. PayPoint location Finder: www.paypoint.co.uk/paypointlocator
- You can use your Allpay card to pay your rent online: www.allpay.net
- If you have an iPhone/iPad or Android device you can download Allpay’s mobile app and pay via your phone or tablet.
If you have a debit card, please contact us on 0800 652 8104 (freephone) during business hours and pay over the phone.
Are you struggling with paying your rent?
If you are having difficulty paying your rent or managing your money, please tell us straight away. We can arrange repayment terms and make sure you are getting all the Welfare Benefits you are entitled to. If you do nothing you could eventually lose your home and that is the last thing you or we want. Remember we are here to help you.
Speak to us today, contact us on 0800 652 8104 (freephone).
Rent Collection
We understand there are many reasons why you may have rent arrears and will deal with this in an understanding way. However, rent arrears are a serious problem and can lead to losing the tenancy of your home.
If you are having difficulties paying your rent, we strongly advise you to seek advice as soon as possible from your Neighbourhood Manager. Our colleagues are available to offer help and assistance and all discussions are held in confidence.
Contact us on 0800 652 8104 (freephone)
If you fall into rent arrears, we will write to you to let you know and will ask you to contact us to discuss bringing your account up to date.
If you do not contact us, we will call or visit you to discuss your arrears and give you budgeting advice, if required. We may also refer you to our Tenant Sustainability Team, who can help with complex benefit queries and resolve any other debts you may have.
If we are unable to contact you by telephone or in person and arrears continue to escalate, we will write to you to tell you that we will begin court proceedings unless you contact us to make a suitable arrangement to pay.
It’s important that you contact us as soon as possible, so it doesn’t get to this stage.
If you fail to clear arrears, or consistently default on arrangements, action will be taken against you and can result in you losing your home. However, this is a last resort and we will make every effort to reach a suitable repayment solution with you before seeking an eviction order.
A First Reminder letter will be sent to you once you miss a payment. If you receive this letter, you should arrange to pay the balance. Alternatively, you should call us on 0800 652 8104 (freephone) to discuss a suitable repayment arrangement or to discuss any queries you have.
If after seven days, you do not make payment for the amount due or make a suitable payment arrangement, we will contact you either by text, phone or a home visit to help you manage the situation. After which, you will receive another letter confirming your balance and advising you to make payment.
If payments are still not being made to reduce your arrears, then the next stage of recovery is a Final Reminder letter. There is still time for you to contact us to discuss a repayment arrangement. If you fail to do this, we will again try to make contact either via phone, text or a visit to your home.
A Notice of Proceedings is a legal notice stating that we intend to take you to court for non-payment of rent and obtain a Decree, giving us possession of your home. You will be informed of the Court hearing date so you can attend. If you receive a Court date and are unsure of what to do, you can contact us on 0800 652 8104 (freephone) for advice and assistance.
The following organisations can also offer advice and support:
Yes. Legal proceeding can be put on hold if you clear your account or come to an agreement with us. An agreement is drawn up detailing how much you will pay and how often, until you have cleared your arrears. If the agreement is broken, legal proceedings will begin again. It is important to come to an agreement that you can pay consistently.
We will give details to the court of how much you owe, details of any payments received and what we have done to help you pay your debts. We will also ask the Court to award us costs, this means in addition to your arrears you will be asked to pay court costs of approximately £250.
We could ask the Court for a Decree or the Court could sist (put on hold) the case. The court could also sist the case or ask for a Proof Hearing to resolve the case, giving a new date.
Courts do not sist cases often, if they do, they will give a new date of 4-8 weeks to allow time for you to make and maintain an agreement.
If you break the agreement made then we will return to Court and seek a Decree for possession of your home.
A Decree is granted by the Court and ends your tenancy. It gives us the legal power to evict you from your home. The Court will decide a date when the Decree comes into force. This is usually 28 days from the Court date but can last up to 6 months meaning, if you agree to clear your arrears within 6 months, we may not enforce the Decree.
Yes, even if we evict you, the debt remains. If you do not make an agreement to pay, we will send your case to a Debt Collection Agency. This could affect your ability to access credit in the future. It is important that you remain in contact with us to clear your arrears. For more information, please contact us. If you have outstanding debts with us, you may not be able to apply to Berwickshire Housing in future.
Here’s a link with more information, https://www.mygov.scot/eviction-council-tenants/the-eviction-process
Need help with you living costs?
If you find yourself struggling to make payments for your priority bills like rent and utilities, help is available. There are a range of benefits that you can explore and based on your situation, you may be eligible for some.