Rent payments

To find out what you can expect from our rent and service charges service please click here to read our Origin Service Offer.

Read about Your Rent and Service Charges Explained here.

Your rent pays for the services that Origin provides to you and other tenants. So it’s important that everyone pays on time.

You can pay your rent:

• Having viewed your online rent statement by registering for our SeeMyData service here;
• At a Pay Point or Pay Zone in a local shop with your Allpay card;
• By direct debit;
• By standing order. Set up your standing order by calling the Contact Centre on 0800 040 7989;
• With telephone credit and/or debit card payments via Allpay. Call the Allpay telephone payment line 0870 243 6040. You must have an Allpay rent card to do this;
• In a secure area on the Allpay website, using your Payment Card Number. The link is: https://www.allpayments.net/allpayments/
• With Housing Benefit direct to Origin Housing. To be arranged through your local council Housing Benefit department. You can calculate your housing benefit entitlement online. See section on ‘Calculating benefits’ below. You can also call Origin’s Contact Centre on 0800 040 7989 and ask for the Income Management team.

Getting an Allpay card
To request an Allpay card call the Contact Centre on 0800 040 7989.

If you need support and advice

The Income Management team manage rent accounts for the benefits of you (the tenant) and Origin Housing. The Income Management Team help you to keep your tenancy and they ensure that Origin has enough money to pay for maintenance and improvements to homes like yours.

Are you having financial difficulties? For advice please contact Origin Housing on 0800 040 7989. We may be able to provide support  if you’re having problems with:

• Paying rent;
• Debts;
• Bills;
• Welfare Benefit;
• Changes in your circumstances.  

David on 020 7209 9322
Gail on 020 7209 9238
Anthony on 020 7209 9290
Stephen on 020 7209 9325

Calculating benefits

Some local authorities have automatic calculators to work out what benefits you are entitled to. Contact your local authority to find out more:

• Barnet council: http://www.barnethomes.org/homepage/feeling-the-squeeze/benefits-changes/benefits-calculator-tool/
• Brent council: https://lha-direct.voa.gov.uk/BedRoomCalculator.aspx
• Camden council: http://www.camden.gov.uk/ccm/navigation/housing/housing-and-council-tax-benefits/
• Enfield council: http://www.enfield.gov.uk/info/63/council_tax-benefit-new_claim/377/benefits_calculator/1
• Stevenage council: http://www.stevenage.gov.uk/benefits/25784/
• Watford council: https://ww2.watford.gov.uk/benefits-calculator/

To find out what personal and housing benefits you are entitled to, check: http://www.turn2us.org.uk/benefits_search.aspx

What happens if I can’t pay my rent?

If you have problems paying your rent you must contact the Income Management Team on 0800 040 7989 or your Income Officer immediately. The Income Management team will be sympathetic and will try to help you by:

• Checking that you get all the benefits you’re entitled to;
• Helping you manage your money;
• Putting you in touch with a specialist debt advisory service.

Wherever possible we will try to come to an agreement with you to clear your arrears. However, if you continue to fall behind with your rent and fail to clear your arrears we will take legal action against you.

Legal Action

If Origin needs to repossess your home we will serve you with a Notice of Seeking Possession.

You then have four weeks to agree to an arrangement to pay your arrears in installments. If you have not paid these installments during the four week negotiation period, then we will seek court action and a lump sum payment (this would be more than your installments amount).

Please contact your Income Officer on 020 7209 9231 for more details.

If we have to go to Court we will seek a County Court judgement to evict you from your home, which will mean that:

• It will be very difficult for you to get credit or a loan;
• We will be able to apply for a warrant to evict you from your home;
• You will not get a reference for other landlords or mortgage lenders;
• If you leave owing rent, we will instruct a debt collector to recover the debt from you.  

Service charges

Some Origin Housing tenants pay a service charge as part of their rent.

Service charges pay for services including:

• Caretaking;
• Communal lighting;
• Gardening;
• Lifts;
• Window cleaning;
• Door entry systems.

Check your tenancy agreement to find out if you pay a service charge.

If you are an assured tenant we review and update the service charge every year. We will keep you informed about the level and type of service we provide.

If you are a secure tenant, the maximum service charge will be set every two years by the Rent Officer, and we will set your service charge at or below this level.

For more information about rent and service charges read rent and service charges handbook.