Find a home after repossession

Homelessness help from the council

You can ask the council for help if you are homeless.

Contact the council as soon as you know you might lose your home.

Not everyone gets housing when homeless. 

The council will assess your situation and work with you to help you find a home.

You usually qualify for emergency housing if you:

• have dependent children who live with you most of the time

• are pregnant

• are classed as vulnerable

Renting from a private landlord

Look online or use a letting agent to find a private rented home.

Most agents and many landlords run a credit check before giving you a tenancy.

If you cannot pass a credit check you might be asked to for a guarantor.

Find out how to rent with a poor credit history.

Renting from a council or housing association

You can apply for council or housing association housing by joining their housing waiting list. This is sometimes called the housing register.

Waiting times for social housing can be very long. Your priority on the waiting list depends on your circumstances and how many social housing properties are available where you live.

Claim benefits to help with rent

You can usually claim universal credit if you or your partner are:

• working age

• on a low income

The value of your home could affect your entitlement to benefits. It's a good idea to speak to a benefits adviser about what you might get.

Universal credit includes a housing element to help with rent. It will not always cover your full rent especially if you rent privately.  

You may be able to get extra help by applying for a discretionary housing payment. 

You can apply for a budgeting advance if you've claimed any of the following benefits for at least 6 months:

• universal credit

• employment and support allowance (ESA) - income related

• jobseeker's allowance (JSA) - income based  

• income support

• pension credit

A budgeting advance is an interest free loan that can be used for one off expenses such as rent in advance or removal costs.

Buying another home after repossession

When your home is repossessed it stays on your credit record for up to 6 years.

It's not impossible to get another mortgage during this time but it can be very difficult to find a lender in the first few years after repossession.

After about 3 years it becomes easier if your finances have improved. 

You will probably need to pay a:

• larger deposit  

• higher interest rate

Some brokers specialise in finding a lender if you can afford a mortgage but have a poor credit rating.