Frequently asked questions
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. This page applies to England only. Get advice relating to Scotland
Certain questions crop up again and again when people contact Shelter for advice. To find solutions to some of the most common problems, use the links below.
Finding a place to live
- How do I get a council or housing association place?
- How do I get into a hostel?
- What other housing options are available in an emergency?
- Where can I get help if all of the emergency accommodation in my area is full?
- How old do I have to be to get a tenancy agreement?
- What should I expect if I use a letting agency?
- I want to move to another council or housing association property. How do I go about this?
- How do ‘low cost’ home ownership schemes work?
Getting housing from the council
- How do I apply for a council home?
- Does the council have a legal duty to house me? (Use our online tool to find out)
- How does the council decide who to house first?
- What can I do if I don't think I have been given enough points on the waiting list?
- Does the council have to house me immediately if I don’t have anywhere to live?
- The council says I’m not in 'priority need' – what does this mean?
- The council says I’m 'intentionally homeless' – what does this mean?
- The council says that if I want help I’ll have to go to social services – do I have to do this?
Paying rent
- Can I get help to pay rent in advance?
- Can my landlord put the rent up?
- Can my landlord evict me if I’m in arrears?
- What should I do if I’m in arrears because of housing benefit delays?
- What is local housing allowance?
- If my flatmate leaves, do I have to pay their share of the rent?
Paying a deposit
- Can I get any help if I can't afford to pay a deposit?
- Does my landlord have to protect my deposit?
- What if my landlord does not protect my deposit in a government-backed scheme?
- When can the landlord keep all or part of my deposit?
- If my deposit doesn’t have to be protected, how do I get it back?
- What should I do if I am not given an inventory at the start of my tenancy?
Benefits, grants & loans
- What is local housing allowance?
As a homeowner, can I claim any benefits to help me pay my mortgage?
- Are there any loans that I can apply for to help with my housing costs in an emergency?
- Can I get help to set up my own place after I leave care?
- How is housing benefit calculated?
- If my circumstances change, do I have to inform the housing benefit department?
- Can I get help with my heating costs?
Mortgage arrears and repossession
- What should I do if my lender is hassling me about my arrears?
- What happens after my lender gets a court order to repossess my home?
- The court made a suspended possession order but now I am struggling to stick to the conditions in the order – what should I do?
- Can I avoid repossession by selling my home and then renting it back (sale and leaseback)?
- Can my buy-to-let landlord’s lender evict me if they repossess the property?
- What steps does my lender have to take before starting court action?
- I've heard that there are some new schemes available to help struggling homeowners. What are these and am I eligible?
Eviction
- Can my landlord evict me?
- I’ve been told to leave – do I have to go?
- Is it legal for my landlord to change the locks?
- Can my landlord’s lender evict me if they are repossessing the property?
- What will happen when the bailiffs come?
- What should I do if I’ve received a letter from the court?
- What does the court order actually mean?
Renting rights
- Can I leave my tenancy early?
- Can I stop the landlord from coming round unannounced?
- Do I have any rights if I don’t have a written tenancy agreement?
- What rights do I have if I share my home with someone else?
- What is a house in multiple occupation?
- What repairs are landlords responsible for?
- What sort of tenancy do I have?
- Can I take in a lodger?
- What rights and responsibilities to landlords and tenants have?
- What happens if I move out without ending my tenancy properly?
Leasehold issues
- What can I do about unreasonable service charges?
- Can I buy the freehold?
- How do I extend my lease?
- Who is responsible for repairs?
- What are the rules on ground rent?
- What can I do if I have a dispute with the freeholder?
Housing conditions
- Can I withhold rent if my council landlord won’t do repairs that are needed?
- The disrepair in my privately rented home is damaging my health – what can I do?
- I’m worried about gas safety in my home – what can I do?
- My landlord refuses to carry out repairs and says that I am free to leave if I’m not happy about it. Is this legal?
- Can I get adaptations to make my home more suitable?
- Is my home legally classed as overcrowded?
Family issues
- What happens if I split up with my partner/spouse?
- What are my rights if I leave my home because of domestic violence?
- What is beneficial interest?
- What happens to our home if my partner or spouse dies?
- What rights do registered civil partners have?
- Do pregnant women have extra rights?
Taking action
- How do I find a solicitor?
- How do I find a local Shelter advice centre?
- How do I check whether the council has a duty to house me?
- How can I check what type of tenancy I have?
- How do I end my tenancy properly if I want to leave?
- How do I deal with antisocial behaviour in my area?
- How do I challenge a decision that the council has made about my homelessness application?
- How do I take action to get my deposit back if it wasn't placed in a deposit protection scheme?
