As a tenant of Folkestone & Hythe District Council (FHDC) you can get information and advice about your tenancy, your rights and responsibilities, how to report a repair and how to apply for a housing exchange on our website.
How to pay your rent
|
Where to Pay |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Direct Debit (DD) |
You can set up a Direct Debit online by accessing the council tenant section of our MyAccount platform. You will need to create an account the first time you do this which will give you access to view all of your rent details at any time as well as other options such as changing contact details or requesting a repair. Alternatively, you can call us to set up a Direct Debit or download a mandate from our website. |
|
Online |
Visit the our Rent Payment page to pay your rent online. |
|
Standing Orders |
Set up a regular fixed payment with your bank. |
|
Smartphone App |
Download the free allpay App from the App store to make rent payments anytime, anywhere. |
|
PayPoint (allpay Swipe cards) |
You can pay at any outlet which displays the PayPoint symbol as long as you have an allpay swipe card. Please contact us to arrange for a card. Click here to find your local PayPoint store. |
|
Payzone |
Find your nearest Payzone store. |
|
Post Office |
Pay your rent at any Post Office. |
|
Text Payments |
To make a payment via text please register online at the allpay website. All you need is an allpay swipe-card and a debit or credit card. |
|
Telephone |
Call us at the Civic Centre, Folkestone on 01303 853000. |
|
Post |
Cheques should be made payable to Folkestone & Hythe District Council. Please do not send cash. Please write your name, address and rent reference number on the back of your cheque and send to Folkestone & Hythe District Council, Civic Centre, Castle Hill Avenue, Folkestone, CT20 2QY. |
Your home is at risk if you do not keep up with your rent payments
Under the terms of your tenancy agreement you have an obligation to pay your rent, service charges and, if applicable, rates every week. Therefore, you must remember to:
- Make every effort to pay your rent on time
- Respond to contact from our staff
- Make sure you have provided the Job Centre (for Universal Credit) or us for (for housing benefit) with all the information needed to process your benefit claim that will help pay your rent if you are on low income.
We monitor rent accounts and service charges (also ground rent payments for leaseholders), on weekly basis. We have a dedicated service for all tenants and leaseholders.
Struggling to pay rent?
Missing rent payment and falling into rent arrears can happen to anybody. It can happen for number of reasons; maybe you were faced with an unexpected bill or an illness meaning you were unable to work. Maybe you are experiencing problems with your benefit payments. If you find yourself struggling to make ends meet it is essential that you contact us as soon as possible so we can help you find solution.
We have committed benefits and money advisor to help you if you are struggling with rent, benefits, debt and/or budgeting. If you feel you would benefit from this service you can contact us on 01303 853000 to arrange for the benefits and money advisor to contact you.
It is really important that you contact us as soon as possible; that you are up front about why you are unable to pay your rent to ensure you are provided with the correct advice, and to avoid any further action.
Help to budget
If you are worried about keeping up with your rent repayments there are also lot of independent organisations who can offer free and impartial advice:
- StepChange Debt Charity website has lot of useful information. Get help online or call 0800 138 1111 (lines open Monday to Friday 8am to 8pm and Saturday 9am to 2pm).
- The National Debtline offer free, independent advice and they have an online service called My Money Steps, or call on 0808 808 4000
- Wave Community Bank is a credit union offering safe savings and affordable loans for Kent residents. Family Saver Loans help families borrow for family needs and are repaid using child benefit. All loans have a savings element to repayments so borrowers build their savings as they repay the loans. Join and saving online or via the mobile app. Phones are open Monday to Friday between 9.30am-1.00pm and emails between 9.30am to 4.00pm. Phone: 0300 303 3188 Email: info@wavecb.org.uk.
- Moneyhelper is a free and impartial service set up by the Government. Visit the website or call on 0300 500 5000.
Income Maximizing
If you are on a low income you can assess your entitlement to benefits and complete a budget planner to help to maximize your income at: folkestoneandhythehomelessness.entitledto.co.uk.
Reporting a repair
For more information on reporting a repair, visit: Reporting repairs | Folkestone & Hythe District Council.
Mutual Exchange/Home Swap
Mutual exchanges allow you to swap your home with another tenant living in a council or housing association property anywhere in the country. Each landlord must agree before an exchange can take place.
The site which we and many other local authorities and housing association use is Homeswapper. This is free and easy to use. You will need to register and create an advert for your property for other tenants to see. We will then let you know if your application has been successful.
Once you have found a home that you would like to exchange to, all households involved must complete the online application form on the Homeswapper website.
Approval is given if all aspects of the exchange meet the criteria and as long as the other landlord is a social housing provider that allows mutual exchange.
If you or the other party are not registered on Homeswapper but have found an exchange, please contact the housing team who will send you an invitation via email to complete the online application form without the need for you to register.
Each landlord will carry out various checks including:
- No rent or other charges are owed
- Your property is in good condition
- You have lived in your present home for at least a year and are no longer on an Introductory Tenancy
If you have any questions please Email: mutual.exchanges@folkestone-hythe.gov.uk or Call: 01303 853300.
Applying for a transfer
If your current home no longer meets your housing needs and you wish to transfer within the Folkestone & Hythe District you should complete the online housing application form on the Kent Homechoice website at https://www.kenthomechoice.org.uk/. For more information about completing a housing application please see https://www.folkestone-hythe.gov.uk/housing/khc-social-affordable-housing/2.