Housing for refugees

The council must help if you are homeless or could be homeless in the next 8 weeks.

This includes if you:

• get a notice from your landlord

• are asked to leave by a friend, host or a family member

• get refugee status and have to leave asylum support or NASS accommodation

You can apply to any council.

But sometimes the council can refer you to another area.

This usually happens if you have no local connection where you apply but do have a local connection somewhere else.

Local connection means links to a council area. It includes a job, close family members or where you most recently lived in asylum support housing.

If you have a local connection to more than one area, think carefully about where to apply.

Find out about moving on from asylum support housing.

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The council must give you emergency housing if they think you could have a priority need.

You are in priority need if:

• you're pregnant

• children live with you

• the council decide you're vulnerable

• you're under 21 and were in care when you were under 18

You could count as vulnerable if you have:

• a disability, health condition or illness which affects your daily life

• trauma from your experiences in your home country or efforts to reach the UK

Find out more about who has a priority need.

If the council does not help

The council must give you a letter explaining why they will not help.

A housing adviser could help you to ask for a review.

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Resettlement schemes match refugees with people who can offer a room in their home.

You can find out more about different schemes from these charities:

• Refugees at Home connect hosts with refugees and asylum seekers across the UK

• British Red Cross help for people from Afghanistan available in Pashto and Dari

• British Red Cross help for people from Ukraine available in Ukrainian and Russian

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Some councils and charities run schemes to help people find private rented housing.

Search for a scheme in your area using the Help to Rent database run by Crisis.

If you're in London, you can contact Refugee Council private rented scheme.

Right to rent checks

Private landlords must ask to see your passport or papers from the Home Office. This is called a right to rent check.

Tenancy deposit and rent in advance

Private landlords usually ask for a deposit and rent in advance.

Ask the council if they can help.

You might also get help through a:

• refugee integration loan

• rent deposit scheme

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Council housing is when you rent from the local council or a housing association.

It is sometimes called social housing.

Each council has their own waiting list and you may have to wait for a long time.

Councils must give priority to certain groups of people. For example, homeless people.

But you can apply for council housing even if you are not homeless.

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The Homes for Ukraine sponsorship scheme matches people escaping war in Ukraine with hosts in the UK.

Your host should not ask you to pay rent. But they can ask you for some money towards food, water, gas or electricity.

Your host should provide you with accommodation for at least 6 months.

Find out more about living with your host and what to do if things do not work out.

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You could get support or free immigration advice from:

• British Red Cross

• Refugee Action

• Refugee Council

• Rainbow Migration support lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, queer and intersex (LGBTQI+) people through the asylum and immigration system

• Freedom from Torture give therapy and support for victims of torture

• The Ukraine Advice Project UK offer specialist immigration advice for people affected by the war in Ukraine

If you want to change your immigration status, you'll need specialist immigration advice from a regulated adviser or solicitor.

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