Housing Options Guide

Council Housing - Rent Levels

South Ayrshire council housing rents are charged on a fortnightly basis.

There are 24 charging fortnights per year and two “non-charging” fortnights per year (at the end of the financial year and at Christmas). However, tenants who fall in to arrears must continue paying through the “non-charging” fortnights.

The table below shows the basic rent charges (per fortnight) for the financial year 2008/09.

Properties that have been double glazed and or improved / modernised will have an additional charge added on top of this basic rent, details of which are also given below:

Additional charges

Type of property	1 apt	2 apt	3 apt	4 apt	5 apt	6 apt
Bungalow	£80.02	£98.86	£104.04	£109.26	£114.46	N/A
Cottage	N/A	£89.86	£94.62	£99.36	£104.06	£108.70
Flat	£80.08	£84.48	£88.82	£93.32	£97.86	N/A
Multi-storey	N/A	£80.88	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A
Prefab	N/A	N/A	£71.88	N/A	N/A	N/A

Properties which have had double glazing installed by the council have a charge of £ 9.32 per fortnight added to the above basic rent charges per fortnight.
Properties which have been improved or modernised by the council have a charge of £12.40 per fortnight added to the above basic rent charges per fortnight.
If a property has had double glazing installed and been improved or modernised, a charge of £21.72 is added to the above basic rent charges per fortnight.

Paying your Rent

You can pay your rent:

At any Area Office: You can pay in person at any area office, using cash, debit/credit card, cheque, or postal order. You can pay your rent weekly, fortnightly, 4 weekly or calendar monthly.

However, if you opt to pay 4 weekly or calendar monthly, you must pay your correct rent charge plus one additional fortnight in advance.

Standing order: You can pay your rent by standing order weekly, fortnightly, 4 weekly or calendar monthly (depending on your bank).

You can obtain a standing order mandate from your local office which you should complete, one copy should be sent to your bank, one sent to your local office and one should be kept for your own records.

If you opt to pay 4 weekly or calendar monthly, you must pay your correct rent charge plus one additional fortnight in advance.

Telephone payments: If you have a credit/debit card and don’t wish to pay in an area office, you can make a payment over the telephone on our 24-hour payment line - 0845 6040 433

Please have your credit/debit card with you when making the call. Once your payment has been credited to your account, a receipt will be sent out to you.

Internet payments: If you have a PC you can pay your rent by accessing the e-Payments facility on the Council’s Website.

Postal payments You can post your rent card along with a cheque or postal order into your local office.

Once your payment has been credited to your account, your receipted rent card will be posted back out to you. Please do not send cash through the post.

Rent Collector: If you live in one of the villages below it can be arranged for a Rent Collector to call at your home on a fortnightly basis.

You can pay by using cash, cheque, postal order or debit/credit card.

Annbank, Ballantrae, Barr, Barrhill, Colmonell, Coylton, Craigie Village, Crosshill,

Dailly, Dundonald, Dunure, Fiveways, Kirkmichael, Kirkoswald, Loans, Maidens,

Minishant, Monkton, Mossblown, Old Dailly, Pinmore, Symington and Tarbolton.

About your Rent Card: Rent is paid over 24 fortnights throughout the year. The rent is added to your rent account on the first Thursday of every fortnight. Payments should be made within the period or you will be in arrears and will receive a reminder letter.

Non-charging fortnights There are two fortnights each year where no rent is charged (periods 20 and 26 on your rent card).

If your rent is paid up-to-date, you do not need to pay anything, but if you are in arrears with your rent, you must pay during these two periods. This will help reduce the amount you owe us.