CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
If you are worried about paying your rent because of coronavirus, tell your landlord or agent straight away.
They might be sympathetic and agree to :
- a rent ‘holiday’
- a reduction in your rent for a temporary period
- let you pay any arrears at a later date.
Use and adapt our sample wording to send to your landlord or agent in a letter, email or text.
Make sure any agreement you make is in writing.
If you are struggling to pay your rent there might be some financial help available. This could include :
You might also be able to apply for the following schemes:
Tenancy Hardship Grant
If you rent your home and have not been able to pay your rent because of coronavirus you might be able to apply to your local council for a Tenancy Hardship Grant (THG). A THG is paid directly to your landlord to cover rent arrears and does not need to be paid back.
To receive a THG you must:
- rent your home from a private landlord, the council or a housing association
- have fallen atleast 8 weeks behind with your rent between 1 March 2020 and 31 December 2021 as a result of financial hardship caused by coronavirus
- not have received housing benefit or universal credit housing costs when the rent arrears built up.
A THG could be right for you if you lost income during the pandemic, for example because you were furloughed, your hours dropped, your universal credit reduced when the uplift was removed or you were ill.
To apply for a THG you need to email your local council using the email addresses here. Make sure you include ‘THG Support Grant’ as the subject line of your e-mail. The council should then be in touch with you to make the application. For more details about the THG scheme click here.
Breathing Space scheme
The Breathing Space scheme gives you time to get some specialist debt advice without the pressure of formal action being taken against you for rent arrears. To find out more about the scheme and how to apply, click here.
If you are worried about paying your rent or household bills because of coronavirus, you can call the Citizens Advice Cymru private rented sector helpline on 0300 330 2177.