increase in rent and everything else HELP

dazzadub

i have just got a letter from my housing association saying im in arrears with my rent.

heres the story, since i moved in in may 2010 ive had to pay service charge of £16 a week on top of rent, from dec 2010 the service werent being given, gardening, communal cleaning, paths and roads etc, but we have all still been charged for this.
currently we still dont get this, but in feb, we got a letter saying the service charge was going to be reduced to £13 a week, but i have just found out we are still being charged full rate of £16 a week.

i dont feel we have to pay the extra £3 as its in a letter from them stating the reduction, also not received the services.
we live on a new build site and the builders liquidated earlier in the year.

also we have recived no letters stating the increase nor have the housing benefit been told, and have under paid the rent each money.


where do i stand on a legal point.
no service ive paid for, also i pay building insurance in service charge, management fee.

this is getting out of control very very fast.


advice needed fast please.

arcon5

Is the service charge in your lease ?
Was the reduction in service charge formal or just something they proposed?

If you in arrears the problem is they have grounds to serve a section 8 notice for both your arrers & your irregular payments also (ground 10 & 11).

If you have not paid the service charge because they wasn't providing the service how have you done this? Because there is are strict guidlines to follow when withholding rent to help & justify your case if it went to court.

I think I may misunderstand alot of the question.. have you not paid any service charge or not paid the £3 difference?
The service charge includes building insurance & a management fee? If so, I would wonder if this has an affect on whether your insured or not..

dazzadub

service charge was formal, was in a written letter to every tenat on the site, 91 homes.

we have been paying service charge upto date, of the amount set out in the letter we got in feb from the housing association.

we have not with held any money, all are rent should be paid under housing benefit but even that isnt covering the rent/service due to increase, and this is first statement of rent we have had since feb 2011.

i have told them i want all money back from the services not recived, or i will look at taking action

dazzadub

arcon5 wrote: »

Is the service charge in your lease ?
Was the reduction in service charge formal or just something they proposed?

If you in arrears the problem is they have grounds to serve a section 8 notice for both your arrers & your irregular payments also (ground 10 & 11).

If you have not paid the service charge because they wasn't providing the service how have you done this? Because there is are strict guidlines to follow when withholding rent to help & justify your case if it went to court.

I think I may misunderstand alot of the question.. have you not paid any service charge or not paid the £3 difference?
The service charge includes building insurance & a management fee? If so, I would wonder if this has an affect on whether your insured or not..

service charge is in lease.
we pay what we are told to pay by the houisng benefit office, we were in credit with rent but from then its gone completly wrong, by £604.12.
rent is being charged higher, benefit doesnt cover it. 5 weeks rent per month

dazzadub

anyone got any advice

vuvuzela

Try on the House Buying, Renting & Selling board, clever property people dwell therein.

nomoneytoday

If you don't pay it then surely any refund should go back to the payee, i.e. the benefit office?

dazzadub

i have paid it, every month.

benefit pay some towards my rent, i pay other part.

arcon5

So are you saying you have been paying rent + service charge as per contract but they have charged to your account a higher level of rent ? Causing arrears. If so could this be a technical glitch...?

OR

You have been paying towards rent what the benefit office told you you needed to but it turns out they have been telling you the wrong figure so now your in arrears?

Sorry, i'm a little lost...

dazzadub

arcon5 wrote: »

So are you saying you have been paying rent + service charge as per contract but they have charged to your account a higher level of rent ? Causing arrears. If so could this be a technical glitch...?

OR

You have been paying towards rent what the benefit office told you you needed to but it turns out they have been telling you the wrong figure so now your in arrears?

Sorry, i'm a little lost...

no glitch


i have been paying correctly, i have spoken to benefits office and i have been paying the correct amount based on there figures and what they were told by genesis was the amount of rent and service charge,

but from feb the HA have upped the rent and service charge with out informing me or benefit office, so when i got statement other day i was in arrears, all the amounts ive paid and benefit paid are correct but they put up rent with out telling anyone.

arcon5

dazzadub wrote: »

no glitch


i have been paying correctly, i have spoken to benefits office and i have been paying the correct amount based on there figures and what they were told by genesis was the amount of rent and service charge,

but from feb the HA have upped the rent and service charge with out informing me or benefit office, so when i got statement other day i was in arrears, all the amounts ive paid and benefit paid are correct but they put up rent with out telling anyone.

Have you asked them about it and what did they say?

I can't see them being able to do this legally without information you. I think rent increases require 2 months notice also **trots along to Google to verify this**