A person employed by the local council to deal with cases of harassment and illegal eviction by landlords. Tenancy relations officers can prosecute landlords.

• See Can the Council help? (harassment and illegal eviction)

Housing provided by councils for a limited amount of time. This can be with a council, housing association or private landlord.

An agreement that gives tenants the right to stay in their accommodation, and to exclude others, including the landlord. This can be either in writing or agreed verbally (a tenancy is also called a lease).

Schemes, or measures, to help tenants stay in their home and avoid being evicted.

A form of joint ownership where the owners have a specified share in the property (ie a percentage) that may or not be equal. If one of the owners dies, their share in the property does not automatically pass to the other joint owner, as it would if they owned the property as ‘joint tenants’. Instead, it passes to whoever the deceased owner’s heirs (ie under the terms of their will, or under the rules of intestacy).

• See Joint ownership

The council will consider you to be 'threatened with homelessness' if you are likely to become homeless in the next 28 days. If you are threatened with homelessness, the council should first try to help you keep your home or find a new home so you don't become homeless. If this isn't possible, the council has a duty to help you as if you were already homeless.

• See Definition of homelessness

If your lender is taking action to repossess your home due to missed payments on a secured loan or second mortgage, you may be able to apply for a time order. This can give you time to make up the payments and prevent repossession. 

• See Court orders (if you are renting)
• See What the court can do (if you are a homeowner)

Accommodation provided by employers as part of a contract of employment. This is also known as service accommodation, and can be provided to both public and private employees, for example resident wardens, housekeepers and NHS staff.

• See Tied accommodation
  

The legal document that confirms who is the legal owner of a property.

• See Checking the title deeds for an example

This term has two distinct meanings:

• If you rent your home from the council or a housing association, you can apply for a transfer to a new home.

• See Transfers

• The term transfer may also be used to describe situations where a tenancy is switched from one person’s name into another – eg as part of divorce proceedings.

• See Transferring tenancies

Someone who has no permission to enter or occupy a property – trespassers who stay in the building are often referred to as s

An independent panel of people who can decide on appeals against certain decisions, for example about leasehold issues.

• See Tribunals