If you don't pay your rent on a regular basis then you could get into what is called rent arrears. If this happens to you, it's important that you contact your landlord/agent straight away to discuss a repayment plan. You might, if you are in financial dire straits, be due some welfare benefits to help with the cost of your rent.

If you can't pay your rent, plenty of help is at hand. There are organisations who can advise you on meeting your priority debts, rent being one of them. Check the web for local advice bureaux and city council offices.

Most landlords/agents will agree to you paying whatever you can afford on a regular basis i.e. monthly until the final debt is cleared. Make sure not to breach this agreement and increase your arrears as you could end up in court and be forced to pay. The endgame of rent arrears is that you may be evicted and lose your home. Local housing authorities might not be obliged to find you a new home.

If you owe rent arrears on a garage, there may not be so much leeway. If you do not pay or ignore letters pertaining to this, your landlord or agent has a right to repossess the garage after 48 hours and lock you out of it.

If you get a letter summoning you to court over your rent arrears, it is important that you contact your landlord/agent to avoid expensive court action. They may still be sympathetic even at this late stage of the game, so it's always worth attempting to appeal to their better natures.

You may get a possession order which means that you can be evicted from your home. If the possession order is suspended, you might be lucky and get to stay in your home. If you breach the terms of the order, or no suspension can be established, landlords/agents reserve the right to send bailiffs round to your home to get you out of it.

It's important that you follow these tips for settling your arrears or the worst case scenario could happen: eviction from your home, which requires a special notice form the court. If you are prepared to leave before the date decreed, you should contact the court and your landlord/agent to make arrangements. You should again seek advice at one of the above bodies, preferably the local council's housing service. Be appraised of your rights under the law and how much time and leeway you will be permitted to settle this troubling issue of rent arrears.