Accommodation that comes with your job
Your rights in tied accommodation depend on whether you must live in the accommodation to do your job.
Tied accommodation
Tied accommodation means you live in housing that comes with your job.
You might pay rent to your landlord or it may be deducted from your wages. In some cases, you may get paid less because your employer provides you with somewhere to live.
If you live in accommodation provided by your employer, you usually have either service occupier or service tenant rights.
Farm or agricultural workers in tied accommodation usually have different rights.
If you are a service occupier
Most people who live in tied accommodation are called service occupiers.
You are a service occupier if:
- you must live in the accommodation to do your job or
- your employment contract says you need to live in the accommodation to do your job properly
Service occupiers can include:
- live-in carers or housekeepers
- hotel or pub employees who live on the premises
- caretakers or gardeners who live in or near their workplace
Rights of service occupiers
If you live in tied accommodation your contract should set out:- the rent you have to pay or the amount taken out of your wages for rent
- how much notice you get if you are dismissed or made redundant
- the notice you must give if you resign
Sometimes you may have a separate agreement that just deals with the accommodation
Getting repairs done
Your contract should say which repairs your employer is responsible for and which ones you should do yourself.
Your landlord should make sure the property is free from health and safety hazards. This includes:
- annual gas safety checks
- installing smoke alarms
If your job ends
Your right to live in your tied accommodation usually ends when your employment finishes.
If your employer decides to terminate your job and accommodation, you may be able to challenge that decision if you disagree with the reasons for your dismissal. You will need to take your case to an employment tribunal.
Your right to challenge the loss of your accommodation depends on whether you pay any rent towards your accommodation.
Contact Citizens Advice about going to a employment tribunal
If you are a service tenant
You're usually a service tenant if you choose to live in employer-provided accommodation but your job doesn't depend on you living there.
Service tenants have the same rights as most other tenants who rent.
You will probably have an assured shorthold tenancy if you pay rent to a private individual or company.
If you rent your home from a council or housing association, you will probably be a secure tenant or an assured tenant.
Rights of service tenants
If you are dismissed or resign from your job, your employer will probably ask you to leave your accommodation.
There are proper eviction procedures that your employer must follow for:
Help and advice
Get advice if you are unsure of your rights in tied accommodation. Contact a Shelter adviser online, by phone or in person.
Last updated 24 August 2017 | © Shelter
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