If your case goes to Court, we will explain how much rent is outstanding, any payments you have made, and the support we have offered to help you manage your arrears. We will usually ask the Court to award our legal costs, which means these may be added to the amount you already owe.
If the Court issues an order, it will normally require you to continue paying your rent as usual, along with an additional weekly amount to reduce your arrears. This order will stay in place for the period set by the Court. If the Court grants an outright possession order for your home, you will need to clear all arrears and costs and also apply to the Court to have the order set aside. Without this application, the order can still be enforced.
You are welcome to have someone support or represent you in Court. A duty solicitor or adviser is usually available on the day, and you can also seek advice in advance from the CAB or a solicitor.
If you do not keep to the terms of a Court order, we may apply to the Court to evict you. Before taking this step, we will invite you to attend an interview so we can talk through your situation. There may still be an opportunity to agree on a way to repay some of your arrears and prevent further action.
A possession order can bring your tenancy to an end and gives us the legal right to ask the Court to evict you from your home. If this happens, the Court will decide when the possession order takes effect, which is usually 28 days after the hearing date.