Staying with friends
This content applies to England only.
Housing laws vary between England and Scotland. Get advice relating to Scotland
Staying with friends can be a good solution, particularly if you need a stopgap and a place to stay immediately. But it doesn't give you many rights.
If you have to leave your current home and you have nowhere else to go, staying on a mate's sofa might be a good short-term solution, but you may start to feel that you are getting in their way, and it could affect your friendship in the longer term. You will need to find somewhere of your own eventually.
If your friend asks you to leave, there will probably be very little you can do. Most people who are staying with friends are classed as excluded occupiers, which means that they can be evicted at very short notice.
If you are in this situation, you may be entitled to help from the council, which could include housing. Use our emergency housing rights checker to find out more about your rights.
