What is not included in my rent?

Council Tax

Your rent does not include Council tax, which must be paid to your Local Authority.

Water rates/electricity and gas

These are not included in your rent. Normally you will be charged for these services by the utility company concerned but in certain recently completed buildings ISHA is responsible for paying water charges direct to Thames Water and will recharge customers.

You are responsible for paying the water rates, electricity and gas in your property. There are no rebates or benefits available towards the cost of water charges. However, most water authorities accept payments by instalments. ISHA will also accept payments by instalments from customers billed directly.

If you receive a fuel bill that you cannot afford to pay all at once, contact the fuel company straight away. You can usually arrange to pay the bill by instalments and can discuss the best option for you to pay for future consumption.

If you are threatened with disconnection, you need to seek advice quickly from your local Citizens Advice Bureau (CAB: see numbers below). There is a code of practice regarding disconnection and they will advise you whether your circumstances are covered by this code. In any case, they may be able to help you negotiate with the fuel company and avoid disconnection.

CAB Telephone Numbers

ISLINGTON          0344 488 9626

CAMDEN              0344 488 9626

HACKNEY            020 8525 6350

WALTHAM FOREST   0300 330 1175