Paying council housing charges and rent

Direct debit is the easiest and most convenient way to pay your housing rent, housing garage rent or other housing service charges. You can choose between the 1st, 8th, 15th, 20th or 25th of the month to pay your housing rent monthly by direct debit, always one month in advance.

If you wish to pay by direct debit you should either:

• Telephone our hotline with your housing rent, housing garage rent or housing service charge account number, bank account number and bank sort code, or
• Download the direct debit form

For information about paying by direct debit please contact your Income Officer, One Stop Shop or call 0207 525 1495 or 0207 525 5984. 

Once your direct debit has been set up, we will send you confirmation, together with the dates and amounts of the instalments. This notification will be sent to you at least 14 days prior to the first instalment.

Standing order

To set up a standing order you'll need the following information

• Our bank details: RBS National Westminster Bank PLC, Southwark branch
• Our bank sort code: 62-22-32
• Our bank account number: 27540022 (L B Southwark Rent) and
• Your 10 digit housing rent account reference number

A standing order form can be requested from your Income Officer, One Stop Shop or call 0207 525 2600. Customers are advised to select a monthly payment date between the 1st  and the 28th day of the calendar month.

Automated telephone payment service

This automated "touchtone" telephone (debit and credit card) payment service is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

To make payments by using your chip and pin debit or credit card please call 0845 6000 611 and choose the option for housing rents (press 2), housing service charges (press 6) or housing benefit overpayments (press 7).

Please ensure you have your account number available when making payment for housing rent, housing garage rent or housing service charge. You can find your account number listed on the front of your rent card, swipe card or the front of your housing services bill.

At a bank or cash office

If you wish to make payment at a bank or one of our cash offices where they will receipt your payment on your housing rent card or on the reverse of your housing rent bill. The Council's cash offices can be found at:

• Peckham Cash Office, 19 - 23 Bournemouth Road, Peckham, SE15 4UJ
• Walworth Cash Office, 177 - 179 Walworth Road , Walworth, SE17 1RW

Cash office opening hours: Monday to Friday from 8.30am until 4.00pm

Online

You can pay your rent online with most major credit or debit cards using our secure site.

By post

Cheques and postal orders can be sent through the post. They should be made payable to "L B Southwark" or "Southwark Council" and crossed "Account or A/C Payee". You should ensure that your:

• Name
• Home address
• Housing rent, housing garage rent or housing service charge account number

are given on the reverse of the cheque. If you are paying multiple accounts you should ensure that you state the amount that should be allocated to each housing rent, housing garage rent or housing service charge account number. If you would like a receipt for your payment you will need to enclose a stamped, self-addressed envelope (SAE).

We are not able to accept post-dated cheques. Please do not send cash by post. Please send all cheques and postal orders made payable to "L B Southwark" or "Southwark Council" to:

London Borough of Southwark
Income Collection Business Unit
PO BOX 11767
153-159 Abbeyfield Road
Rotherhithe
London
SE16 3ZF

 

Please ensure you have your account number available when making payment for housing rent, housing garage rent or housing service charge. You can find your account number listed on the front of your rent card, swipe card or the front of your housing services bill. If you do not, the Council cannot be held responsible for payments not allocated to your account.

One stop shops (OSS)

You can pay your housing rent, housing garage rent or housing service charges in monthly instalments at any of the Council's One Stop Shops (OSS). You can also pay your housing rent, housing garage rent or housing service charges by debit or credit card by calling the Customer Service Centre 020 7525 5000, where you can speak to an advisor; if you would like to discuss any problem with making payment.

There are also handitill (cheque deposit) machines located in all One Stop Shops, which are listed as follows:

• Peckham One Stop Shop, Ground Floor, Peckham Library, 122 Peckham Hill Street , Peckham, London, SE15 5JR  
• Walworth One Stop Shop, Wansey Street , Walworth, London, SE17 1OY

One Stop Shop opening hours: Monday to Friday from 9.00am until 5.00pm.

Swipe card

You can use your L B Southwark swipe card to pay your housing rent at any Post Office (by cash or debit card) or Pay Point (by cash only) swipe card outlet nationwide.

You do not have to fill in any bank or giro credit slips, just tell the cashier how much you want to pay and hand them your swipe card. You will receive a receipt as proof of payment for every chip and pin debit card or cash payment made.

Monthly payroll deduction

If you are employed or receive a pension from the London Borough of Southwark, you can have your housing rent taken directly from your monthly salary or pension. You can contact your Income Officer or call 0207 525 2600 to request a payroll deduction form, which we can arrange to be sent to your home address. We will automatically update your payments when your housing rent changes.