Moving out of your temporary accommodation over Christmas?

You will be charged the full rent until the keys for your accommodation are returned. If you live in a property where the repairs are managed by an agent, please contact the agent directly to hand in your keys and to obtain a receipt. Please do not leave keys in the property.

For all other properties, the housing options service at the Town Hall, 160 Whitechapel road, London E1 1BJ, will re-open on Thursday 2 of January 2025. You need to return your keys to the office before midday to avoid charges.

Please remember to notify your housing officer, housing benefit and Council Tax.

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Paying rent for temporary accommodation

Paying your rent

You will be sent a rent payment card within 14 days of signing your tenancy agreement.

If you do not receive a card or lose it, please contact the Housing Options Service or your housing association to get a new one.

You will be sent a new card each time you move to a new property. Always use the latest card you were given. 

If your property is managed by the Housing Options Service, you can pay your rent at:

  • any Post Office or shop with a Paypoint or Payzone terminal

  • by telephone (with a debit card) – 020 7364 5000

  • by post – send cheques directly to the Housing Options Service or postal orders to the Payment Point. Make them payable to 'London Borough of Tower Hamlets’ and write your rent reference number on the back. 

  • by standing order: regular payments can be taken from your bank account, call us for a form to set up a standing order 

Do you have problems paying your rent?  

Please seek help and advice as early as possible. 

For help on budgeting and money advice to help keep up with your rent payments, there is the Citizen’s Advice Bureau.

You may also want to discuss it with your housing officer. You can find their contact details on your licence agreement or other paperwork we have given you. You can work out a payment plan that will clear any arrears. 

What happens if a payment plan is agreed?

You must try to stick to it as arrears can lead to eviction.

You can get advice from tenancy sustainment officers in the Housing Options Service.

The housing advisory team also has money advice officers who can give housing-related debt advice.

What happens if you leave temporary accommodation and owe rent?

If you are not making payments to clear the debt, we may take further action to recover your arrears.

This will include: 

  • referring the arrears to a debt collection agency 

  • securing and enforcing a County Court judgment 

  • using a bailiff to collect the debt. 

This may lead to extra costs being added to the original debt.

Will owing rent for temporary accommodation affect bidding for property?

Yes, your rent account will be checked if you made a successful bid.

You are unlikely to be offered any property if you:

  • have arrears of over 10 weeks of rent
  • are not reducing the debt