We charge you rent for your home and other services you receive, such as water and heating charges. You need to pay your rent in full, every Monday, as part of your agreement. You can choose to make these payments monthly, 4-weekly or 2-weekly, but this will need to be paid in advance and agreed by us.
Paying rent is your responsibility. If you don't pay your rent, or reduce your arrears, you may be evicted. Respond immediately to any letters you receive about non-payment of rent. If you are having trouble paying, you should email rent.council.housing@enfield.gov.uk. Don't wait until you receive an eviction letter.
Your rent payments allow us to:
- manage and repair homes
- keep estates clean and tidy
- ensure your home is kept safe
- make minor estate improvements
- provide an out-of-hours emergency service
We will send you a statement every three months but you can ask for a statement at any time. You can view your rent account online by registering for Enfield Connected.
You can also make a rent payment by calling our 24 hour automated telephone line on 020 8379 1000, option 1 with your payment reference number.
You can make single payments at any PayPoint, Payzone outlet or Post Office using the barcode on your letter or rent card.
If you are paying at a PayPoint, many retailers will accept cash or card, and you will be given a receipt. There is no charge to use this service.
When using PayPoint, remember that:
- not all PayPoints will accept card payments but they will all accept cash
- the maximum you can pay in one transaction at PayPoint is £300
- for any transactions over £300, it is advisable to pay using another method shown on your bill
You can pay by direct debit by completing the Instruction to your bank or building society to pay by Direct Debit form (PDF, 192.57 KB) and returning it to us. You can also email rent.council.housing@enfield.gov.uk to ask for a paper copy.
Help paying your rent
We can help if you're struggling to pay your rent.
If you're receiving Housing Benefit or Universal Credit (UC), you may be eligible for extra help towards your rent, such as Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP).
To claim for Universal Credit, you will need to know:
- the total amount of rent and service charges
- the name and address of your landlord (Enfield Council, Civic Centre, Silver Street, EN1 3XA)
- how many other people are liable to pay the rent
- How many bedrooms you have
As an Enfield Council tenant, there are no rent-free weeks.
For help with any of these questions, email rent.council.housing@enfield.gov.uk or find out how to claim for UC.
After applying for UC, you may not get your first payment for at least 5 weeks. If you're in financial need and cannot wait, you can ask for an advance payment, which you will have to pay back over a period of time.
If you're receiving UC, this replaces Housing Benefit. Your housing costs are included in your UC payment, which means you will be responsible for paying your rent. We may ask the Department for Work and Pensions to pay your UC directly to us. It will be your responsibility to pay any rent shortfall.
Your UC is paid monthly so you will need to know your monthly rent charge. To work this out, multiply your weekly rent by 52 and divide by 12.