Consider offering your tenant a repayment planĪnother option for resolving arrears is to arrange a repayment plan with your tenant. If your tenant is struggling financially, you could direct them towards a charity such as Step Change or Shelter for advice. If you show unreasonable behaviour, this could affect the outcome if the issue ends up going to court. It’s important to treat the matter of a missed payment or arrears sensitively and to be polite and courteous throughout. You should explain that unpaid arrears could result in court action being taken against the tenant and state that you may make an application to the court for possession of the property should more than two months' rent go unpaid. Your letter should request that the outstanding arrears are paid immediately and ask the tenant to ensure future payments are made in full on or by the due date. If you don’t hear anything back, send a formal letter by first class or hand-delivered mail. If rent remains unpaid after several days, start by calling your tenant or send a text message or email to check in. This guide explains how to deal with arrears and what to do if your tenant misses a payment. Often, the easiest way to resolve the problem and get back on track is to speak to your tenant directly, but in some cases further steps will be required.

Missed payments and rental arrears can be extremely stressful for both landlords and tenants. In the meantime, check out our news story on the main announcements. We'll update this guide with full information when it is published. The Bill includes a series of measures to improve tenant rights, including a ban on Section 21 no-fault evictions. On, the government unveiled the new Renters' Reform Bill.

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