Rent arrears and recovery policy

Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council aims to deal with all of our tenants in an individual way. Many of our tenants are vulnerable through circumstance or lifestyle. In accordance with our Customer service charter we are committed to understanding a person’s circumstances and tailoring our response appropriately. Some factors such as mental health, a person’s age or physical disability may necessitate a more comprehensive response by Hinckley & Bosworth Housing Staff. As such, our subsequent response may include the following:

For vulnerable tenants or tenants with mental health problems/learning difficulties:

• Always ensure the repayment plans are realistic for the tenant
• We will write to the tenant confirming the repayment agreement, including payment dates if required
• A notice of seeking possession will not be served until a home visit/interview has been considered
• We will request that County Court possession orders requested be suspended on payment of rent plus a suitable sum
• We will inform Social care when requesting a warrant for possession to be executed by the County Court if we have concerns about vulnerability

For households with young children (that is under 16):

• If it is deemed necessary, on a case by case basis, Children’s Services maybe notified that possession proceedings in the County Court are about to commence
• We will normally request that County Court possession orders are suspended on payment of rent plus a suitable sum
• On a case by case basis, inform Children’s Services when requesting a warrant for possession be executed by the County Court
• Assess whether any additional support needs may be necessary

For tenants who cannot read or write (or read or write English):

• Attempt to communicate all key decisions verbally or by the use of a translator

For all procedure steps involving Social Care, this action is arranged through the Tenancy Management Officer.

Safeguarding and referrals

In some circumstances, an officer of the Housing Service may consider it necessary to refer a tenant or a family member for additional support or assistance in accordance with the Adults Safeguarding policy or the Children and Young Persons’ Safeguarding policy. For further information on our safeguarding policies, read our safeguarding children and vulnerable adults documents

Last updated: 16/01/2024 08:38