How to pay your rent
As a tenant, you have a responsibility to pay your rent and other charges regularly and promptly.
Rents are due weekly in advance on 48 weeks of the year. There are four rent free weeks. These have been set for Spring Bank Holiday, Christmas and New Year weeks, and the last week in March.
Benefits checker
If you are not sure how much rent you should be paying and think you may be entitled to Housing Benefit you can use the simple Benefits Checker which will give you an estimate.
The rent and benefit calculator is easy to use and it's entirely free. It can be used to work out how much you could be entitled to or how your benefit would be affected if your circumstances changed - if you start a new job, or someone moves out of your home for instance.
Payment methods
Direct Debit remains the most convenient method for paying your rent.
Direct debit
Straight from your bank account:
- Your payments are spread equally over the rest of the year
- If the amount you need to pay changes, the Direct Debit will automatically change your monthly payment amount for you.
- If your Direct Debit changes you will also be sent a letter telling you about this before the new payment is collected.
One of our Customer Service Assistants will be pleased to help you arrange to pay by Direct Debit - please call 0300 100 2010.
Online
Through a secure server on our website: Pay rent online - this service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Please note that payments made after close of business on Friday will be allocated to your account on the following Monday.
Standing order
Straight from your bank account. The main difference between standing order and direct debit is that with a standing order you have to tell the bank when the amount you pay changes. With direct debit we tell the bank about the changes for you.
You should also allow 3 working days for payments made by Standing Order to reach your rent account.
By telephone
Our automated telephone payment service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week - telephone 01709 336810 to make a payment.
Please note that payments made after close of business on Friday will be allocated to your account on the following Monday.
Payments can also be made over the phone by calling 0300 100 2010 between 8:30am and 5:30pm, Monday to Friday.
In person
Payments can be made at Customer Service Centres (Please note: payments can no longer be made at Neighbourhood Offices).
Payments can be made in cash, by debit or credit cards, by cheque or postal order.
Always quote your name, address and rent account number with your payment.
At a PayPoint outlet:
PayPoint can be found in local newsagents, convenience stores and petrol forecourts in your area and nationwide.
Take your rent card, which must contain a printed barcode, and the amount you wish to pay in cash to any PayPoint outlet. You will be given a receipt which you should keep.
Payments made at a Paypoint outlet should be made at least 3 working days before the instalment is due.
At the Post Office
Take your rent card, which must contain a printed barcode, along with your method of payment (cash, cheque or debit card) to any Post Office. You will be given a receipt which you should keep.
Payments made at a Post Office should be made at least 3 working days before the instalment is due.
By post
By cheque or postal order payable to Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and addressed to Revenues Services, Civic Building, Walker Place, Rotherham S65 1UE.
Please quote your Rent Account Reference number along with your name and address. A receipt will not be posted unless specifically requested and unless you include a stamped addressed envelope when posting your payment.
You should never send cash through the post.
Refund forms
If you have a credit balance on your rent account we can refund this to you by sending a cheque to your home address.
To claim a refund from your rent account, please complete and return the appropriate form.
We aim to process refund requests within 14 days from receipt - please allow 14 to 28 days for receipt.
Last update: 31/01/2012
