From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishbe in arrearsbe in arrearsOWEif someone is in arrears, or if their payments are in arrears, they are late in paying something that they should pay regularly, such as rent Many people are in arrears with their rent.be four weeks/three months etc in arrears The rent money is two months in arrears.fall/get into arrears (=become late with payments) → arrears
Examples from the Corpus
fall/get into arrears• Pat Rutter, 37, fell into arrears totalling £5,000 after she separated from her husband two years ago.• In February 1982, after C. and D. had fallen into arrears on the mortgage payments the building society obtained possession.• But the Hammonds fell into arrears in payment of the mortgage instalments due to the building society.• The assignee of a lease fell into arrears with the rent and the landlords brought an action against him in 1941.• Mr. Mahmoud was not a satisfactory tenant and soon fell into arrears with the rent.• There are also conditions preventing consumers from being unfairly penalised, if they get into arrears.• When they got into arrears, all four had to go.• The problem of a borrower who fell into arrears through no fault of his own should be handled sympathetically and positively. 