How to pay

There are eight ways to pay your rent:

1. Online

Please make sure that you have your swipe card and debit or credit card ready.

2. Swipe card

Use your Octavia swipe card with cash or a credit card at the post office or any shop displaying the PayPoint signs.

If your card is lost or stolen, don't worry. The card is a payment card only, so it is of no use to anyone else. Simply contact our income team who will send you a replacement.

3. By phone

Call your income officer or our customer services team on 020 8354 5500.

You can pay using a debit or credit card. We accept Switch, Delta, Visa, Solo, Electron or Mastercard. Unfortunately we do not accept American Express cards.

We will send you a reciept of the payments you make.

4. Direct debit

If you have a bank account, you can arrange to have your rent paid by direct debit. This can be set up over the phone with your Income Officer.

Use our handy search tool to check who the Income Officer is for your home.

You can also arrange for contributions towards any rent arrears to be added to your weekly / monthly payments. We will always contact you to discuss this option before it is included in your payments. When your rent increases, your direct debit will automatically change too. In line with the direct debit guarantee, we will always write to let you know about any change to your rent or service charge, giving you at least 10 working days' notice.

The advantages of paying by direct debit are:

you don't have to tell your bank each time your rent or charges increase
direct debits are paid electronically, so they credit your rent account on the same day
they can help you budget your weekly or monthly expenses.

5. Text us

If you have a UK registered mobile phone, a valid allpay.net swipecard and a current debit or credit card, you can pay by texting us. All you need to do is:

Register once online
Anytime you want to make a payment, text "Pay" and your registered text code - (for example, "Rent") followed by the amount you wish to pay and the last four digits of your debit or credit card.

For more details see: Mobile Payments on the allpay website.

6. Standing order

If you have a bank account, you can arrange to have regular payments made straight to us from your account. You will need to fill out a form telling your bank when to make the payments and how much to pay. Contact the Income team for a form.

7. Housing benefit

If you claim housing benefit, you can opt for the council to pay the money directly to us. All you need to do is tick the box on your housing benefit application form.

Don't forget that housing benefit doesn't always cover the full amount of your rent. If you are not entitled to have all of your rent paid by housing benefit, you are responsible for paying the difference. You can pay this amount in any of the ways described on this page.