Rents: Arrears

Financial support is available for tenants facing difficulty paying their rent, including through the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payment schemes. In 2025/26, the government is investing £1 billion into these schemes, which are administered by local authorities in line with local priorities.

Free, non-means tested legal advice is available through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service for tenants who are at risk of possession proceedings or loss of their home. Through this service, tenants can receive advice on housing, welfare benefits and debt as soon as they receive written notice that possession of their home is being sought.

While support is available to sustain tenancies where appropriate, the government believes that landlords must have robust grounds for possession where there is good reason to take their property back, including where a tenant has accrued long-term rent arrears. Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, there will be grounds for possession for rent arrears allowing mandatory eviction after three months’ arrears are accrued, and discretionary grounds for lesser amounts in situations such as frequent late payment.

It is also important that landlords can have efficient access to justice in the minority of cases where court action becomes necessary. We will make the court possession process more efficient for users by digitising it from end-to-end.