Change the rent due on a tenancy

During the course of a tenancy, the rent being charged may change in a number of ways.

1. The total amount of the rent may increase or decrease.
2. The split between tenant and benefit contributions may change.

Rent is applied to a tenancy by rent schedules, so if the amount being charged changes in any way then the existing schedule will need to be either modified or deactivated, and a new rent schedule set up to replace it. 

Deactivate a rent schedule

STEP-BY-STEP

1. From the tenancy view click on List Rent or navigate to the list rent page via the Rent and Charges > Rent menu.
2. Click on any schedule listed in the Schedules section.
3. On the schedule view, click Options > Deactivate to stop it immediately - this means it will not apply again.
4. If the rent change takes effect at some stage in the future you can specify a particular end date via Options > Change End Date.
5. Deactivating a rent schedule or changing its end date will not affect any rent which has already been applied from it. If rent which has been applied already needs to be modified it can either be edited or deleted. 

EXAMPLES

Increasing rent

A tenancy has rent being applied at £1000 per month, and this is now increasing to £1100 at the end of the current period. Although this should not happen during a tenancy in line with the tenancy agreement, perhaps the tenancy is now periodic and change has been agreed. 

In this case, deactivate the current £1000/month schedule, and create a new one to start on the first day of the next period (e.g. 1st of next month).

Rent being paid by a benefits agency

A tenancy has traditionally had all rent paid by the tenant (£1000 paid from the tenant on the 1st of each month), but due to a change in circumstances the tenant is now going to receive a contribution form the local benefit authority, and he will make a shortfall payment (every month). 

Deactivate the current £1000/month schedule, to prevent any future rent being applied from that. The contribution from the benefit authority may not be know for several weeks, so decide what payment is going to be due from the tenant (possibly based on a projection of benefit contribution) and create a one-off rent charge for this amount for next month. In this way, when the actual amount is known the rent charge may be easily amended.

When the actual amount payable from the benefit authority is known, along with the payment dates, create a new benefit schedule for that amount, starting in line with the benefit payment schedule and running in line with it going forward, typically every 28 days. Also, create a new tenant schedule for the shortfall amount, on either a 28-day or monthly schedule as agreed with the tenant.