Most of the arrears calls we get resolve with a single phone conversation. It’s the ones that don’t that landlords need to understand properly, because using the wrong notice, or the wrong process, is the single biggest reason a straightforward arrears case falls over at the Tribunal.
Here’s how we actually work through it, from the first missed payment to the point it needs to end a tenancy.
We Always Start With a Conversation
Before anything goes in writing, we call the tenant. Most missed payments aren’t about avoiding rent at all, they’re a timing issue, a bank error, a bad week, and a five-minute conversation sorts it out more often than any formal notice does.
Where a payment plan makes sense, we put it in writing on the spot. Adding a bit extra to future rent payments until the debt clears is a common, straightforward fix, and having it documented protects everyone if it’s ever disputed later.
The 14-Day Notice: For a One-Off
This is the notice we reach for when it’s a single missed or late payment, arrears under 21 days. It sets out the amount owed and gives the tenant 14 days to pay it.
If the rent is paid within that window, the tenancy simply continues, no further action needed. If it isn’t, we look at mediation or a Tenancy Tribunal application under the standard breach provisions.
The Pattern We’re Watching For
A single late payment and a genuine pattern are two different problems, and we treat them differently. When rent that was due remains unpaid for 5 or more working days, on 3 separate occasions within any 90-day period, we can apply to end the tenancy.
Each occasion needs its own written Notice of Overdue Rent, stating the amount owed, the dates it was overdue, the tenant’s right to challenge it at the Tribunal, and how many other qualifying notices have already been issued in that 90-day window. The notices don’t depend on each other, we can issue a second one whether or not the rent from the first has since been paid.
Once three valid notices have been given, we have 28 days to apply to the Tenancy Tribunal.
What We Make Sure Is Airtight Before It Gets There
The Tribunal doesn’t just take our word that three payments were late. It checks that every notice met the legal requirements and that the arrears genuinely reached 5 working days each time, so we keep that paper trail tight from the very first notice.
Mediation is available before it gets that far, and it resolves most of these without a hearing ever happening.
How We Reduce the Risk From the Start
Good tenant selection is where this really starts, it’s the single biggest factor in how often we deal with arrears at all.
On top of that, we always talk owners through landlord insurance, which can cover a portion of lost rent while arrears are being sorted, it’s worth understanding before you need it, not after.
How Our Team Handles Rent Arrears
We monitor rent as it comes in as standard, so a missed payment gets a phone call within days, not weeks. If it does escalate, we issue the correct notices, keep the records the Tribunal will actually want to see, and represent you at the hearing if it comes to that.
It’s not a separate service, it’s just part of how we manage your property day to day.
Not Sure How to Handle a Tenant Falling Behind?
Every arrears situation is a little different, and getting the notice type or timing wrong can cost you the case. Get in touch with your local Wolfbrook team before you send anything in writing.