My Rent

We know that money worries can be very stressful. Please let us know if you are struggling to pay your rent – we’re here to help. See more below about support, paying your rent, annual increases and contacting us.

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  • A woman with a credit card looks over bills she has been sent

    Worrying about paying your rent?

    If you're struggling to afford your rent, please let us know as soon as you can. We know that being in debt can be very difficult for you and your family, and we are here to help you.

    Support for you

    Our Income Team offers advice and support to help you manage your debt, and create the right payment plan for you. Contact our Income Team by emailing: allincometeam@eastlighthomes.co.uk

    Our Welfare Benefits Team can make sure you are receiving any benefits you are entitled to, as well as help you to apply. Find out about our welfare benefits service here.

    Our cost-of-living support page has lots of support and advice to help you through anything you may be struggling with. Visit our cost-of-living page here.

How to pay

You are free to choose how you would like to pay your rent. Please see the options below.

Online
Phone
  • Call 0330 041 6497 – you will need your 19-digit swipe card reference, alongside a credit or debit card.
In person
  • At the Post Office - you will need your swipe card.
  • Via Pay Point. Any store with a Pay Point sign will accept a cash payment. You will need your swipe card.
Through your bank
  • Direct Debit
  • Standing Order 
  • Please contact us for our bank details if you wish to set up a Direct Debit or Standing Order.

Annual rent increases

Your frequently asked questions and supporting information about your annual rent increases.

My rent letter looks different this year, is it genuine?

We've made some changes to the letters this year, including:

  • Your tenancy number is now highlighted to make it clearer and easier for you to find. It's useful to have when making contact with us.
  • The sections in orange are a call to action which highlight what you need to do next. This will signpost you to what you need to know and provide details on any action you may need to take.
  • The sections in blue provide information and signpost to the various places on our website that provide more detailed information.

If you receive a letter and are unsure if it's from Eastlight, please contact us on 0330 128 0330 and we'll be able to confirm if it's genuine. 

Why has my rent gone up?

We are a not-for-profit organisation. The rent you pay us helps us provide your services, maintain your homes, and build affordable homes.

The cost of providing these services, including repairs and improvements to your home, have gone up significantly over the last year.  Highlighting one example, the cost of our buildings insurance, including for everyone’s homes, increased by 60% last year to more than £1 million.

We intend to use the rent we receive next year to help us provide your services, including the following:

  • Carrying out up to 30,000 repairs in your homes
  • Installing 150 new bathrooms, 250 kitchens, 200 front doors and 120 rewires
  • Spending £600,000 on aids and adaptations where needed to help residents stay independent in their homes
  • Replacing approximately 800 heating systems
  • Carrying out more than 20,000 safety checks covering gas, oil and electrics, keeping you safe in your home
  • Building more than 200 new homes for those who need them.
How do you decide what the increase will be?

Our Board decides on the increase, following government policy.  The Board includes Eastlight residents who are members of our Customer Influence Committee.

For rented homes, the maximum rise is based on the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) as of September 2023 plus 1%.  For shared owners, it is based on your lease agreement with Eastlight.

For more detailed information, please refer to the documents entitled: ‘How your rent has been set’ at the bottom of this page.

I’m an Eastlight tenant. How much has my rent gone up by?

From 1 April 2024, your rent will increase by 7.7%. You’ll receive your rent letter with full details of your new rent from the beginning of March.

We understand that rent rises can be hard to manage, especially when the cost-of-living remains high. Please contact us if you are struggling or worried about how to pay your rent.

You will not lose your home if you cannot pay your rent, as long as you work with us to manage any arrears you have.

I’m an Eastlight shared owner. How much has my rent gone up by?

Your rent will change based on your lease agreement with Eastlight. At the beginning of March, you will receive your rent letter with full details of the new rent you should pay from 1 April 2024.

We understand that rent rises can be hard to manage, especially when the cost-of-living remains high. Please contact us if you are struggling or worried about how to pay your rent.

We can help with financial support, benefits advice and help to manage your rent. For more information about support available, visit our cost-of-living page here.

You will not lose your home if you cannot pay your rent, as long as you work with us to manage any arrears you have.

I rent a Garage or parking space/plot from Eastlight. How much has my rent gone up by?

From 1 April 2024, your rent will increase by 7.7%. You’ll receive your rent letter with full details of your new rent from the beginning of March.

We understand that rent rises can be hard to manage, especially when the cost-of-living remains high. Please contact us if you are struggling or worried about how to pay your rent.

We can help with financial support, benefits advice and help to manage your rent. For more information about support available, visit our cost-of-living page here.

I’m struggling to afford my rent. Can you help?

Yes, we can. If you’re struggling, please contact us.  We can offer you financial support, benefits guidance, and help with managing your rent.

For more information about what support is available, please visit our cost-of-living page here.

How are my service charges calculated?

We do not profit from service charges, which are meant to cover the costs of services for your home.  If you pay service charges, you will receive information about your service charges in your rent letter.

If your rent is a social rent or you're a shared owner, the charges aim to recover the actual costs. We’ve limited any increases to a maximum of 7.7%, in line with your rent increase, plus £5 per week.

For those with affordable rent, service charges are included in your rent.

Is anyone consulted about these changes?

Eastlight Board Members have considered and supported the decisions made on any increases applied.

Will my benefits increase?

The government announced that for the forthcoming year, means-tested benefits including Universal Credit will rise.

This means that if you receive these benefits, they will increase by 6.7% from April 2024, helping meet your household expenses, including rent.

I receive Housing Benefit, what should I do?

If your Housing Benefit is paid directly to Eastlight (as of February 2024) we will notify your local authority of the new rent charges.

If your Housing Benefit is paid directly to you, or if you have only recently requested that it should be paid directly to Eastlight, please supply a copy of your increase letter to your local authority.

I receive Universal Credit, what should I do?

Please log on to your journal on or after 1 April 2024 and update the housing costs element. The figures can be found at the end of your rent letter, in the Appendix Please do not update your journal with these changes before this date, as they will be rejected.

53 week year: important information for Universal Credit recipients

Between April 2024 and March 2025, the amount you receive in Universal Credit for housing might not be sufficient to cover all rent payments due. This is because there are 53 Mondays in the rent year, but the Universal Credit Regulations 2013 calculate housing costs based on 52 weeks a year.

Unfortunately this is outside Eastlight’s control, and many people who are tenants of other landlords and who claim Universal Credit will face the same challenge.

If you’re concerned about how you’ll be able to pay for the extra rent week, please contact us as soon as possible. Our Income Advisors stand ready to help you, with options including slightly increasing your regular payments to cover the extra week.

I pay by Direct Debit – what happens next?

You will receive a separate letter regarding your Rent Direct Debits. We will recalculate your payment, and Allpay will write to you to confirm the amount.

I pay monthly and don’t know how much to pay?

Please call us on 0330 128 0330 and ask to speak to the Income Team and we will try to help you.

I pay by standing order – will my payments change automatically?

Please tell your bank to change your payments to cover the change in your charges. Eastlight cannot do this for you because only you are able to access your bank account.

My increase letter contains Form 4, why has this been included?

This is a legal requirement when we increase your rent.

I am partially sighted. How can I get my letter translated?

Please call our Customer Service team.  We can email the rent increase letter to you so that you can use a screen reader to read it.

I need help to translate my rent increase letter as English is not my first language, how can I do this?

Please call our Customer Service team. We can use a language line service to translate this for you over the phone.