Finding accommodation

If you are looking for accommodation, you might find it useful to collect:

• lists of hostels, bed and breakfast hotels and emergency accommodation
• lists of accommodation agencies
• contact details for social housing landlords such as housing associations
• advice on approaching the local authority as a homeless person
• the addresses of refuges for women in violent relationships
• information on local housing available for people with special needs

If you're homeless you should check if you can get homeless help from the council.

If you're looking for private rented accommodation, you might want to check if any landlords in your area are part of an accreditation scheme. Accreditation schemes are voluntary schemes that landlords join to show that they provide good quality accommodation. For more information about accreditation schemes in England, go to www.anuk.org.uk.

In Wales, if you’re looking for private rented accommodation, you should check that the property is registered. You can check this through Rent Smart Wales. You can also check if the landlord or agent is licensed.

If you're looking for private rented accommodation, you may find it useful to refer to a government publication called 'How to rent – The checklist for renting in England'. It summarises things that assured shorthold tenants need to look out for and what you can expect from a tenancy. It is available from the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk.

If you are looking for accommodation, you may be able to get this sort of help from a local authority housing advice centre. You can find the address of your nearest centre in the local telephone directory or from a Citizen’s Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

Accessible housing registers

In some parts of England and Wales there are 'accessible housing registers'.

If you need specially adapted accommodation, for example, because you are disabled or elderly or have a disabled child, you can apply to have your details entered on to 1 or more accessible housing registers.

If you put your details on an accessible housing register, this can help to match together people and suitable homes.

You don't have to live in the area you want to register in, so you can register in an area that you want to move to. You can also register in more than one area. You can apply to be on the accessible housing register if you own your own home.

If you are looking for accommodation, you may be able to get this sort of help from a local authority housing advice centre. You can find the address of your nearest centre in the local telephone directory or from a Citizen’s Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

Local authority accommodation

Getting onto the housing register or waiting list

Local authorities don't have to have a housing register, but in practice, most will keep a register or waiting list of people who have applied to rent accommodation. You usually have to fill in an application form to apply for local authority accommodation.

When you apply the local authority will check whether you qualify. Many people from abroad, for example, most asylum seekers and people who have spent significant time living away from the UK - even if they are UK citizens - do not qualify for housing.

You can find information on eligibility for local authority accommodation for people who have come from abroad and their families, on the Housing Rights website at www.housing-rights.info.

The rules on who can qualify for local authority housing are complicated, especially if you have just arrived in, or returned to the UK from abroad. If you are in this situation, you should seek advice, for example, from a Citizens Advice. To search for details of your nearest CAB including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

In England, local authorities may also have other qualifying criteria that you have to meet before you can join the waiting list. For example, some may say that you must have lived in the area for a certain number of years. Each local authority can decide what criteria they use, so the criteria are likely to vary from one local authority to another. If a local authority uses criteria on having a local connection with its area, these generally can't be applied to be members of the armed forces.

You have a right to request a review if the local authority decides you do not qualify to join its waiting list.

Deciding who should be offered accommodation

Local authorities have to publish information explaining how they make decisions about offering accommodation and the system they use to give priority to applicants on their waiting lists. How priorities are decided may vary from one local authority to another, but factors often taken into account will be:

• poor health made worse by housing conditions
• lack of, or shared use of some facility, for example a bathroom or toilet
• an inadequate number of bedrooms for the size of your family
• length of time you have lived in the area
• age (where access to sheltered or supported accommodation is under consideration)
• length of time on the waiting list
• separation from your family (including a family which is overseas) because of inadequate accommodation
• homelessness 

In England, in certain circumstances, current and former members of the armed forces have to be given priority for accommodation.

A local authority is not allowed to treat you unfairly when applying for accommodation. For more information about discrimination, see under heading Discrimination when letting property.

Completing an application to go on the local authority waiting list may be difficult. You may want to get help from an experienced adviser, for example, from a Citizens Advice. To search for details of your nearest CAB including those who can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

If you are accepted on a local authority waiting list, you may have to wait a long time before you are offered accommodation. Your local authority should be able to give you a rough idea of how long you will have to wait. You should make sure that you keep the local authority informed of any changes likely to affect your application, for example, changes in the numbers and/or ages of your children. You may also have to renew your application regularly.

In England and Wales, if you need specially adapted accommodation, for example because you are disabled or elderly or have a disabled child, you can apply to have your details entered on to one or more Accessible Housing Registers. You can do this as well as putting your name on a local authority waiting list.

Choice based lettings

Some local authorities will advertise empty homes in their area so that people on their waiting list can then 'bid' for the property they are interested in. This is called 'Choice based lettings'. If your local authority uses this type of system for letting accommodation, they should give you information on how, when and where you can bid for accommodation.

When you are made an offer, it may be accommodation owned by the local authority, or by a housing association. In an area where the local authority's housing has all been transferred to a housing association, this may be the only option offered.

You will usually only be able to turn the offer down if it is unsuitable for your needs, for example, if you are disabled and there is no lift. It is always best to get advice before refusing an offer. There is usually a limit to the number of offers a local authority will make.

Housing associations

Housing associations are 'not-for-profit' organisations that provide housing for rent. There are many housing associations providing a range of accommodation. Some provide housing for certain types of people, for example, single parents or disabled people. Others provide general housing in the same way as a local authority.

Only some housing associations accept direct applications. Most require you to be nominated by the local authority, which means that you will need to apply to go on the local authority waiting list and ask to be nominated – see under heading Local authority accommodation. Where a housing association does not insist on this, it may require that you are nominated by a local agency, for example, an advice agency or the social services department. If a housing association does accept direct applications, the criteria each has for selecting tenants will vary.

In some areas the housing associations and local authority have joint waiting lists. This means you can register with the local authority, and housing associations, on the same form.

If you are looking for accommodation from a housing association or other social landlord, you may want to get more information from an experienced adviser, for example, at a housing advice centre or a Citizens Advice. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.

The right to buy

If you have been a local authority tenant for at least two years (or at least five years if you first became a local authority tenant on or after 18 January 2005), you will usually have the right to buy your home at a discounted price.

Some tenants of housing associations in England and Wales have the right to buy their homes. In England and Wales, this is called the right to acquire.

The Welsh Government has made it possible for local authorities in Wales to suspend the right to buy or to acquire in areas of housing pressure. This means that if you are a social housing tenant in Wales and want to buy your home at some time in the future, you may find you are no longer allowed to do so.

For more information about the right to buy or the right to acquire your home in England and Wales, see Buying a home.

Shared ownership

Shared ownership schemes are intended to help people who cannot afford to buy a suitable home in any other way. You usually share ownership of the property with a local authority or housing association. You pay rent to the landlord for part of the property and a mortgage on the rest. You will usually be able to buy further shares in the property at a later date.

To qualify for the scheme you must usually be a first time buyer, and priority is given to local authority or housing association tenants. Other people in housing need may also be considered for the scheme. You must be able to get your own mortgage to meet the purchase costs on a percentage of the property.

In England more information on shared ownership accommodation is available from the Help to Buy website.

In Wales, more information is available form the Community Housing Cymru website at www.chcymru.org.uk.

Forces Help to Buy

Throughout the UK, the Forces Help to Buy scheme allows service men and women to borrow up to 50% of their salary, interest free, to buy their first home or move to another property on assignment. The maximum loan is £25,000 and it can be used towards a deposit and other costs such as solicitor’s and estate agent’s fees.

More information on the scheme is available from the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk.

The Foyer scheme for young people

Foyers provide temporary hostel accommodation for young people, mostly aged 16-25, who are homeless or in housing need.

Foyer residents are also offered guidance, support, access to learning and help with finding work.

The average length of stay in a foyer is between nine and twelve months.

If you want to stay in a foyer, you can contact the nearest one to you and ask for an interview, or you can ask another agency such as your local housing authority, probation service or care home to refer you.

Some Foyers will only accept young people who have been referred by their local housing authority.

To find details of your nearest foyer, contact:

The Foyer Federation
3rd Floor
5-9 Hatton Wall
London
EC1N 8HX

Tel: 020 7430 2212
Website: www.foyer.net

Accommodation and letting agencies

An accommodation or letting agency may be able to help you find accommodation owned by a private landlord. If you register with an agency you will be asked the type of property you are looking for and how much rent you are willing to pay. You will normally be asked to give details of your job and income, and may also be asked to provide references from your employer, bank, and present or previous landlord.

In Wales, Part 1 of the Housing Act (Wales) 2014 requires landlords with a property in Wales to register with Rent Smart Wales. Self letting landlords or agents must also be licensed and follow a code of practice . Training for the code of practice is mandatory before approval of a licence.

An agency must tell you what they know about a property and what they should reasonably be expected to know. They should also tell you what they become aware of when marketing a property, which could affect your decision to rent a property.

Fees and charges

A letting agency can only charge certain fees, for example a tenancy deposit - check what fees your letting agent can charge you.

Adverts for rental properties on websites and in other media must include information about charges you will have to pay, for example the holding deposit.

You can read more about this on the Advertising Standards Authority's website at www.asa.org.uk, and if you think that an advert hasn't met their guidelines, you can report this to them also through their website at www.asa.org.uk.

Displaying fees, charges or penalties

Letting agencies must display a comprehensive list of everything a tenant could be asked to pay at any time before, during and after a tenancy.

The letting agent should make it clear whether each fee is per tenant or relates to the whole property. All costs must include tax.

The agent should display the list at each office where they deal with tenants face-to-face.

You should check that the letting agent has displayed the list of fees in a place where they are clearly visible.

If the letting agent has a website, they must publish the list online.

Letting agents don’t need to display:

• rent payable to a landlord
• a tenancy deposit taken as security
• any fees, charges or penalties that the letting agent receives from a landlord under a tenancy on behalf of another person

An agency offers accommodation

If you are offered accommodation by an accommodation or letting agency, you should inspect the property before accepting it and ensure you have full details about:

• the terms of the tenancy agreement
• the amount of rent you will have to pay, and whether it includes any services, fuel and water charges
• how much rent you will have to pay in advance
• whether you will have to pay a premium and/or a security deposit and, if so, how much - see under heading Deposits and premiums
• whether the property has a mortgage. You can lose your accommodation if the property is repossessed due to the landlord's failure to keep up mortgage payments
• the name and address of the landlord
• in Scotland, whether the landlord is registered. All private landlords in Scotland should be registered with the local authority.

Check your tenancy type if you rent from a private landlord. 

Where possible, you should use an accommodation or letting agency which has signed up to the National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS). Agencies belonging to this scheme have agreed to follow a set of standards which include a complaints procedure.

Organisations which belong to this scheme include the National Association of Estate Agents, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and the Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA). These organisations will insist that member agencies keep deposits paid by tenants in a separate 'client account'. For contact details of these organisations, see under heading Further help.

Discrimination by an accommodation or letting agency

An accommodation or letting agency can refuse to register you. They might do this if they think you can’t afford the properties they’re renting out.

It is unlawful for an agency to discriminate against you because of your disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation, even where, for example, a landlord has said that they do not want a tenant of a particular race or sex, or with a disability.

For more information about discrimination when you are renting property, see under heading Discrimination when letting property.

If you think you have been discriminated against by an agency for any reason, you should contact your nearest Citizens Advice.

Deposits and premiums

A landlord or accommodation agency acting on your behalf might ask you to pay a deposit or premium for your accommodation.

Holding deposits

In England and Wales, a landlord or accommodation agency can ask you to pay a holding deposit when you agree to rent a property but have not yet taken up the tenancy – this can be up to 1 week's rent. This deposit will probably be deducted from your first month's rent or the security deposit you pay when you move into the property (see under Security deposits).

Before making any payment, you should be sure you want to take up the tenancy. You won’t usually get your deposit back if you:

• decide not to take the tenancy

• don’t do what you need to do to agree the tenancy – as long as the landlord has done all they need to do

• give the landlord or letting agent false or misleading information

If you can't get a holding deposit back although you have a good reason not to take up a tenancy you should contact your nearest Citizens Advice.

Security deposits

A security deposit is money paid to a landlord (or an accommodation agency acting on their behalf) as security against, for example, rent arrears, damage to property or removal of furniture.

If you are asked to pay a security deposit you should check the condition of the property and its contents carefully. This is because, when the tenancy ends, you may be held responsible for anything which is missing or damaged, and may lose all or some of your deposit.

When a tenancy ends, the security deposit should be returned to you. It is reasonable for deductions to be made to cover, for example, damage to the property or furniture, missing items listed on the inventory, or outstanding rent you owe.

If you have occupation contract and moved into your home after 6 April 2007, and paid a deposit to a private landlord or accommodation agency, they must place it in a tenancy deposit protection scheme. This means you can be sure that you will get your deposit back at the end of the tenancy, as long as you are entitled to it. The scheme also provides a service to sort out any disagreements about the deposit between you and your landlord, without going to court.

Premiums

Your landlord or letting agency can’t charge for giving you a tenancy – check what fees they can charge you.

If you want to challenge a premium that your landlord is charging you should contact your nearest Citizens Advice.

Rent deposit guarantee schemes

Some local authorities, housing associations and charities offer loans to pay a deposit of a month’s rent on a private flat. Usually, the money is lent in advance and is then repaid by the tenant, possibly through Housing Benefit. Other schemes guarantee that any outstanding rent will be paid to the landlord if required, but no money is exchanged. Most schemes guarantee to pay for any damage to the accommodation at the end of the tenancy.

Paying for accommodation

If you need help to pay your rent on any accommodation that you find, you may be able to apply for housing benefit. You may also be entitled to other benefits if you are unemployed or on a low income.

Find out more about Housing Benefit.

Energy Performance Certificates

A landlord has to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for all new lets of self-contained accommodation. Self-contained accommodation does not cover a:

• room in someone's home
• shared house let with more than one tenancy agreement
• hall of residence
• hostel
• residential care home.

The purpose of the EPC is to show prospective tenants the energy performance of the property they are considering renting. The landlord must provide the EPC free of charge, at the earliest opportunity. This could be when they first give written information about the property, or when a viewing is arranged, but it should be provided before the tenant enters into the rental agreement. In England, Wales and Scotland, from 9 January 2013, an advert to let a property must show the EPC rating.

An EPC must be produced by an accredited assessor and it is valid for ten years. It can be reused as many times as is necessary within that ten-year period but if a new EPC is produced, this must be used instead of the older version.

An EPC gives details of the energy efficiency of the property. It is accompanied by a recommendation report that shows how energy efficiency can be improved. However, the landlord does not have to carry out any of the improvements recommended in the report.

Where there is a Green Deal plan on a property for which payments are still to be made, information about this must be included on the EPC in England and Wales, and on the EPC or its recommendations report in Scotland. The new tenant must acknowledge the Green Deal and the repayments in writing.

For more information about the Green Deal, see Green Deal on www.gov.uk.

If a landlord does not provide an EPC, Trading Standards can issue a notice with a penalty charge of £200 per dwelling.

For more information about reporting a problem to Trading Standards, see Reporting a problem to Trading Standards.

For more information about EPCs in England and Wales, go to the GOV.UK website at www.gov.uk.

Discrimination when letting property

If you are renting property, you may find that you face discrimination. People who are letting property must not discriminate against you because of your disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation. They are probably acting unlawfully if, because of one of these reasons, they:

• refuse to let a property to you or offer you a property for rent on worse terms than other people
• treat you differently on a housing waiting list
• treat you differently from other tenants in the way you are allowed to use benefits or facilities such as a laundry or a garden
• evict or harass you.

In Wales, Part 1 of the Housing Act (Wales) 2014 requires landlords with a property in Wales to register with Rent Smart Wales. Self letting landlords or agents must also be licensed and follow a code of practice . Training for the code of practice is mandatory before approval of a licence.

There are some exceptions to the rules about discrimination in housing, for example, if your landlord lives in the same property as you. However, even if the landlord lives in the same property, they mustn't discriminate against someone because of their race.

If you think you are being discriminated against when you are renting property, you should get advice from an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.

For more information about discrimination, read our pages on discrimination in housing.

Further help

Housing advice centres

Housing advice centres can offer advice and information about all aspects of housing. Some are run by local authorities while others are run by voluntary organisations.

Details of independent housing advice centres are available from:-

Wales

Shelter Cymru
25 Walter Road
Swansea
SA1 5NN

Tel: 01792 469400
Fax: 01792 460050
Email: mail@sheltercymru.org.uk
Website: www.sheltercymru.org.uk

Shelter also operates a free housing advice helpline for anyone with a housing problem. The service is available via minicom and textphone, and a special translation service can be provided where necessary. Tel: 0808 800 4444.

Housing rights information for people coming from abroad

There is a useful website about housing for people who come from abroad, for example, refugees, people who hold work permits, people in the UK with indefinite leave to remain and EEA nationals. The website address for England and Wales is www.housing-rights.info.

Help with home buying schemes

Wales

Community Housing Cymru
Fulmar House
Beignon Close
Ocean Park
Cardiff
CF24 5HF

Tel: 029 2055 7400
Fax: 029 2055 7415
Email: enquiries@chcymru.org.uk
Website: www.chcymru.org.uk

The National Approved Letting Scheme and affiliated organisations

The National Approved Letting Scheme (NALS)

Tavistock House
5 Rodney Road
Cheltenham
GL50 1HX

Tel: 01242 581712
Fax: 01242 232518
Email: info@nalscheme.co.uk
Website: www.nalscheme.co.uk

Association of Residential Letting Agents

Arbon House
6 Tournament Court
Edgehill Drive
Warwick
CV34 6LG

Tel: 01926 496800
Fax: 01926 417788
Email: info@arla.co.uk
Website: www.arla.co.uk

Members of the ARLA must follow the ARLA guide to best agency practice. The ARLA also runs a bonding scheme to protect your money if a member agency goes out of business.

National Association of Estate Agents

31b Arbon House
21 Jury Street
Warwick
CV34 4EH

Tel: 01926 496800
Fax: 01926 400953
Email: info@naea.co.uk
Website: www.naea.co.uk

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors

Wales

RICS Wales
Second Floor
3/4 Park Place
Cardiff
CF10 3DP

Tel: 029 2022 4414
Email: contactrics@rics.org
Website: www.rics.org