Council rent - do you still get "free" weeks over Christmas?

[badgemush 10]

24th december and 31st december are the rent free weeks.

[dizzy_chick 10]

No, what the Council do is divide the yearly rent by 50 weeks instead of 52.

[haddockman 10]

I wish my landlord did this! Great idea, pay a bit extra each month and get two weeks free I'll be having to find £400 by 2nd January!

[happyhippy 11]

But that's the point, they're not free weeks/months. They're weeks/months where nothing is debited. The yearly bill is the same.

 

For the hard of thinking on here, imagine a yearly bill of £1200 (picking a number).

 

Now MONTHLY, that would be ....... well done! £100 per month, but what if you pay it in ten monthly instalments, and have little to pay at the end of the year?

 

That's right! £120 a month, and then two months where the hard working family gets a break.

 

There are NO free weeks, it's just easier to administer the division of fees as such .......

[Titanic99 10]

Quite a few people are better off under this arrangement (including the council).

 

Those people on Housing Benefit have their amount increased throughout the rest of the year to accomodate these arrangements, they then get a seasonal job over Christmas which would normally take them out of entitlement to Benefit, but as there's no rent to pay for those two weeks then they are better off than they should be.

[fabulous_girl 10]

I like this idea, i would welcome the extra dosh at xmas. i think we should make like a lot of europe and split salary into 13 installments instead of 12, so everyone has extra to spend at xmas!

[tinkertailor 10]

also this only applies if your up to date with the payments,

[reach easy 10]

is it still free rent christmas week?

[scottyboo 10]

If your rent account is paid up to date it's free weeks on 24th and 31st dec hope this helps.

[depoix 11]

im almost certain south yorkshire housing also give you a free week at easter as well as those at christmas

[rubydazzler 11]

also this only applies if your up to date with the payments,

I noticed an ad on the side of a bus today that said something like "why not use your rent free weeks to catch up with your rent arrears?"

[badgemush 10]

im almost certain south yorkshire housing also give you a free week at easter as well as those at christmas

 

Sheffield City Council used to do rent free weeks, 1 at easter, 1 at christmas, then they changed it a few years ago to 2 weeks at christmas.