Rent arrears letter template
A rent arrears letter is what a landlord or letting agent in England sends a tenant who has fallen behind with rent, setting out the account and asking for payment or a repayment plan. It can be a first reminder, a formal request, or a final letter before a possession notice. The tenant, the rent account, the amount and the stage change each time.
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What changes each time
17 values. Everything else is your wording, kept exactly.
Who is writing and to whom
- Landlord's or agent's name, address, email and phone
- Date of the letter
- Tenant's name or all joint tenants' names
- Property address
The stage
- Stage of the letter
- Date of the earlier letter
- Dates of earlier letters (stage 3)
The rent account
- Rent due dates, amounts due, amounts paid, dates paid and running balance
- Total arrears
- Interest rate and interest to date
What we are asking
- Payment deadline
- Payment details: account name, sort code, account number, reference
- Date to contact us about a repayment plan
- Contact name, phone and email
What happens next
- Ground or grounds relied on
- Deadline before a possession notice
- Guarantor's name and date of the guarantor agreement
The rules it usually needs
Written in plain English when the template is set up.
- One of several wordings
“Write the letter as a first reminder, a formal request, or a final letter before a possession notice.”
Each stage has its own opening, and the payment deadline lengthens from stage to stage.
- One of several wordings
“In a stage 3 letter, rely on ground 8 together with grounds 10 and 11, or on grounds 10 and 11 only.”
The ground 8 description appears only on the first form.
- Only when…
“Include the interest paragraph only when the tenancy agreement provides for interest on late rent.”
The rate, capped at 3% above base rate, and the interest to date appear, shown separately from the arrears.
- Only when…
“Include the paragraph about changed circumstances and Universal Credit payments only at stage 2 or stage 3.”
It invites the tenant to say so and explains direct payment of the housing element.
- Only when…
“Include the section about what happens next only at stage 3.”
It explains the notice under section 8 of the Housing Act 1988 and that only a court can end the tenancy.
- Only when…
“Include the Universal Credit sentence only when ground 8 is named.”
Unpaid rent caused only by a delayed housing payment does not count towards the ground 8 figure.
- Only when…
“Copy the letter to the guarantor only when a guarantor agreement exists and the stage is 2 or 3.”
The guarantor's name and the agreement date appear.
- Once for each item
“One row in the rent account for each rent due date.”
Three missed months give three rows, each with the amount due, paid and the running balance.
Questions people ask
What should a rent arrears letter include?
The property and tenant, a table of rent due and paid, the total owed, a deadline, how to pay, an offer to discuss a repayment plan and where to get free advice.
How many letters should a landlord send before serving a notice?
There is no fixed number. Many landlords send a reminder, then a formal letter, then a final letter before serving a notice, so the tenant has every chance to pay or agree a plan.
How much rent must be owed before a landlord can use ground 8?
At least three months' rent, or 13 weeks' for weekly rent, both when the notice is served and at the hearing, with a minimum notice period of four weeks.
Does a notice mean the tenant has to leave?
No. A landlord can only end the tenancy with a court order. The letter says so.
Can a landlord charge interest on late rent?
Only if the tenancy agreement provides for it, and under the Tenant Fees Act 2019 it cannot exceed 3% a year above the Bank of England base rate.
Use this template
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