Help from the council if you have been illegally evicted

Your local council may help you get back into your home, prosecute your landlord or find you emergency housing.

How the council can help

Contact your council immediately if you've been illegally evicted.

Your council should have a tenancy relations officer or a housing team who can help.

The council could:

• help you get back into your home
• find you somewhere else to live
• take your landlord to court for evicting you illegally
• give you advice about getting an injunction and claiming compensation

Emergency housing

Contact your council's homelessness department for help if you have nowhere to live because of illegal eviction.

If you're illegally evicted at night or on the weekend and need emergency accommodation:

• call your council's after hours emergency number
• call 101 for local police and ask for the council's emergency number

Help to get back into your home

The council should check your legal rights to stay in your home. 

The council can contact your landlord to negotiate for you to return. A council officer may be able to go with you when you re-enter your home.

The council can also give you legal advice about:

• getting a solicitor
• going to court to get an injunction or claim compensation against your landlord

The council doesn't charge for help and advice.

Legal action against your landlord

The council can prosecute your landlord for illegal eviction or harassment.

It doesn't cost you anything. You'll probably have to go to the court hearing.

Your landlord has to pay a fine or could be sent to prison if found guilty.

The threat of prosecution can be enough to persuade your landlord to let you back into your home.

Claiming compensation

You can ask your council for advice about claiming compensation if you've been illegally evicted.

Still need help?

Contact a Shelter adviser online, by phone or in person