If you need to find somewhere to live
This advice applies to Wales. See advice for See advice for England, See advice for Northern Ireland, See advice for Scotland
Your housing options might be things like:
getting help if you’re homeless or might be homeless soon
renting a council or housing association home
renting from a private landlord
Whether you can get help from the council depends on things like your age, if you’re homeless or your immigration status.
If you apply for a council or housing association home, you might have to wait a long time - even if you’re a high priority. You’ll usually need to rent privately while you wait unless you’re homeless.
If you need to leave home because of violence, threats or abuse
You can get help from:
National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247 at any time
Men's Advice Line on 0808 801 0327 Monday to Friday from 10am to 5pm
Calls to these numbers are free.
You can also contact other domestic abuse organisations online.
If you're a young person
You can ask your local council if there are any organisations in your area that offer accommodation for young people. You can find your local council on GOV.UK.
Your options might include supported housing.
Supported housing is usually run by housing associations and can help with:
applying for benefits
support to get work or training
cooking and budgeting
You should also check your other housing options, for example applying as homeless or renting from a private landlord.
You can find organisations that help young people find somewhere to live on the Shelter Cymru website.
If you're an older person or disabled
If you want to move homes because yours isn’t suitable due to your age or a disability, you can ask your local council for a care needs assessment.
After your assessment the council will decide what kind of social care you might need. This could be adaptations to your home or moving to a care home.
You can find out how to apply for a care needs assessment with your local council on GOV.UK.
You can also find out about different types of housing for older people on the NHS website.
You should also check your other housing options, for example:
applying as homeless
renting from the council or a housing association
renting from a private landlord
If you leave the armed forces
You can check your housing options if you're leaving or have left the armed forces.
You should also check your other housing options, for example:
applying as homeless
renting from the council or a housing association
renting from a private landlord
If you're a key worker
You might be able to get cheaper rent if you live in an area with a ‘key worker’ scheme.
Key workers usually include:
nurses and some NHS staff
teachers
police officers and some civilian staff in police services
prison service and probation service staff
social workers
Key worker schemes are usually run by housing associations. You might be able to apply directly with a housing association or need a referral from your local council.
Find your local council on GOV.UK.
You can also find out about key worker schemes in your area by searching online or asking your HR department.
You should also check your other housing options, for example:
applying as homeless
renting from the council or a housing association
renting from a private landlord
If your immigration status means you can’t get help with housing
Your immigration status might say you have ‘no recourse to public funds’. This means you can’t:
apply for most benefits
get homeless help or a council home
If you have no recourse to public funds, you can’t apply for a council home or make a homeless application.
Check if your immigration status lets you get help with housing.
Renting privately
You’ll usually have to rent from a private landlord.
If you’re an asylum seeker and can’t afford to rent privately, you can get accommodation from the Home Office. You can find out about Home Office asylum support on the NRPF Network website.
Getting help from social services
You might be able to get housing help from social services if you’re homeless and have children or you have care and support needs.
If you’re an asylum seeker, social services might help you find a place to live.
Check if you can get help from social services if you're homeless.
Applying for help from social services might affect your immigration status - you should talk to an adviser.
If you're homeless or threatened with homelessness
It’s usually worth applying to your local council for help if you're homeless - or if you’ll be homeless soon.
Depending on your situation, the council might:
find somewhere for you to stay short term
help you stay where you’re currently living - for example by talking to your landlord
find somewhere for you to live long term - this might be council housing or renting from a private landlord
Check if you can apply for homeless help from the council.
If you aren't a British or Irish citizen
Before you contact your local council, it’s important to check if your immigration status lets you apply for homeless help.
If you apply when you aren’t allowed to, the Home Office might refuse any immigration applications you make in the future. In rare cases, they might take you to court or end your visa early.
Check if you can apply for homeless help from the council.
If you're homeless and the council won't house you
You’II need to consider finding a temporary place to stay if you don’t have anywhere you can stay tonight.
It’s worth asking friends or family members if you can stay with them while you find somewhere.
If you’ve slept outside overnight or you’re planning to sleep outside tonight
You can get help from Streetlink. They’ll help you get help from your local council or charities. You’ll need to tell Streetlink where you’re sleeping on their website. They’ll find you and help you find somewhere to stay.
You might be able to get a place to stay in a hostel, night shelter, refuge or bed and breakfast. You can ask your local council for contact details of places to stay. Find your local council on GOV.UK.
If the council have decided they won’t help you and you think they might be wrong, check if you can challenge the council’s homeless decision.
Getting help from social services
Social services must help you find somewhere to live if you’re 16 or 17 years old and don't have family or friends you can live with safely.
Social services might give you housing help if your homeless application was rejected and any of the following apply:
you’re responsible for a child who normally lives with you
you’re ill, disabled or have mental health needs
you’re 18 to 25 years old and you used to live in care
If you’re in one of these situations and you need a visa to be in the UK, you can still apply for help from social services - even if you have ‘no recourse to public funds’. You don’t need to have made a homeless application.
Applying for help from social services might affect your immigration status - you should talk to an adviser.
Renting from the council or a housing association
You can apply for a home through your local council. They might also call it ‘social housing’.
If your application is accepted, you’ll go on to a waiting list of people who need a home. Your council will then prioritise applications based on who needs a home most urgently. The council’s allocations scheme will give details of who gets priority for homes in the area.
If you get on the waiting list, there's no guarantee you'll get a home - or it could take many years.
You could be offered a home owned by your local council or housing association.
You might have to apply to some housing associations directly instead of through the council - ask your council if there are any near you.
If your council has a long waiting list, they might ask if you want to apply for homes in other areas as well. You can be on several waiting lists at the same time and this might increase your chances of getting a home.
Check if you can get on the waiting list for a council home.
If you or a family member is disabled
Your local council will have social housing that is accessible. They might have a waiting list called an 'accessible housing register' you can join.
Accessible homes might have things like:
step-free access
a stair lift
wider door frames
lower worktops in the kitchen
You can apply to join an accessible housing register anywhere in the country. You can also register in more than one area.
If your local council doesn’t have an accessible housing register, they should still have accessible homes.
Moving to a different council home
If you live in a council or housing association home you might be able to swap for something more suitable with another person. This is sometimes called a ‘mutual exchange’.
You might want to swap if:
your home is too small for you
your home doesn’t meet your health or disability needs
your benefits have been reduced and you can’t afford your rent
you need to move to a different area
Check if you can move to another council or housing association home.
Renting from a private landlord
The quickest way to find a property is on property search websites. You can search for the exact area you want and contact the letting agent if you want to view a property. You can also search online if you want to rent directly from a private landlord.
If it’s hard for you to look for a property online you could visit local estate agents.
Starting to rent from a private landlord can be expensive. You’ll usually need to pay a deposit and rent in advance.
If you can’t afford a rent deposit or rent in advance you might be able to get help from your local council.
Check the costs of starting to rent from a private landlord.
If you’re finding it difficult to rent privately you can check the Help to Rent database on the Crisis website.
If you decide to rent privately, it still might be worth checking if you can apply for a council home.
If you're going to be living with your landlord
If you live with your landlord and share living space with them - you’re a lodger.
This might be a cheaper way to rent but you don’t have many legal rights.
Check what rights lodgers have.
Affordable rent if you're saving to buy a home
You might be able to pay lower rent to help you save for a deposit for a home.
You can find out about Rent to Own on the Welsh Government website.
If you're finding things difficult
Your mental health is as important as your physical health. You should talk to your GP if your housing problems are affecting your mental health.
You can find other ways to get help with your mental health on the Mind website.
If you need to speak to someone
You can speak to a trained volunteer at organisations like Samaritans or Shout.
Samaritans
Helpline: 116 123 (Monday to Sunday at any time)
Welsh Language Line: 0808 164 0123 (Monday to Sunday 7pm to 11pm)
Calls to Samaritans are free.
You can find other ways to get in touch with Samaritans on their website.
Shout
You can also text 'SHOUT' to 85258 to start a conversation with a trained Shout volunteer. Texts are free, anonymous and confidential from anywhere in the UK.
If you think it's an emergency
If you think your life or someone else’s is at risk, you should call 999 or go to A&E if you can.
You can also find a list of urgent mental health services on the Mind website.
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