Housing advice and homelessness

We can:

• check that your landlord has served the correct notice to end your tenancy 
• take action to resolve harassment and/or the threat of illegal eviction 
• negotiate with your landlord 
• help you with court proceedings 
• provide financial help, such as assistance to apply for discretionary housing payments and tenancy sustainment support, so you can stay in your home 
• help you find a new property to rent if the problems cannot be resolved. 

It is important that you complete a housing self assessment form as soon as your landlord asks you to leave so that we can provide the right advice as soon as possible.

Complete a housing advice assessment form

Please note: If you have any difficulties completing the form, call us on 01895 556666.

Paying for privately-rented accommodation

Depending on your financial situation, you may be able to claim the Housing Element of Universal Credit towards the cost of your rent. We can assist in negotiations with landlords and can offer advice on all areas of renting.

• Help with your council tax
  All councils now set their own local council tax reduction scheme.
• Discretionary housing payment
  If you receive housing benefit but have difficulty meeting any shortfall in your rent and your landlord refuses to reduce the rent, you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment.
• Changes to Disability Living Allowance
  Personal Independence Payment (PIP) is replacing Disability Living Allowance (DLA).
• Universal Credit (UC)
  UC replaced some benefits that are administered by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Disrepair in your private rented property

If you are in need of repairs in your rental home, read our disrepair in your rental property pages.

End of tenancy notice

If you are in rented accommodation and have a tenancy agreement, your landlord must serve you with notice to end the tenancy. The form of the notice will depend on the type of tenancy you have and the reason the landlord is asking you to leave. For example, the landlord is required to give different notice periods if they want you to leave due to rent arrears or if they want you to leave because they intend to redevelop the property.

As soon as you receive a notice, please complete the housing advice assessment form so we can check the validity of the notice and correctly advise you. You should also begin to look for alternative accommodation to resolve your housing need.  If you have been served with a section 21 notice you can check whether it's valid online.

Check if Section 21 notice is valid

Eviction notice

If you are living in privately-rented accommodation and your landlord has served you with a valid Section 21 notice, this is the beginning of a process for the landlord to recover the property. If you do not have alternative accommodation to move into once the Section 21 has expired, your landlord will then need to apply to the court for the possession order. This process can take several months, following the expiry of the original notice.

Our homeless prevention team will be able to advise you on your housing options, making sure the landlord has not made any mistakes in the issuing of the notice and check that they are eligible to use the Section 21 process. If landlords have not complied with their obligations, they may not be able to serve you with a Section 21 notice. If the notice is invalid, we will notify your landlord and support you to understand the process to defend this claim should the landlord continue to pursue the eviction via the courts.

If you need assistance to secure alternative accommodation or need advice, please complete our housing advice assessment form as soon as possible.

Complete a housing advice assessment form

Unlawful eviction

Your landlord may be guilty of unlawful eviction if:

• you are not given the correct notice to leave the property
• the locks are changed without your knowledge
• you are evicted without a court order
• you are forced to leave the property with threats or violence.

Experiencing harassment

If your landlord does anything to harass you in your home or withdraws essential services, they may be breaking the law.

Harassment can be anything a landlord does, or fails to do, that makes you feel unsafe in the property or forces you to leave, including:

• repeatedly turning up at your home
• letting themselves in without your knowledge
• stopping services, such as electricity
• withholding keys
• refusing to carry out repairs
• anti-social behaviour by someone on the landlord's behalf
• threats and physical violence.

If you think your landlord is harassing you or trying to evict you unlawfully, call us as soon as possible on  01895 556666. We can negotiate with the landlord on your behalf to ensure they follow the correct procedure.