Temporary housing during home adaptations

Local councils and housing associations should have policies on temporary accommodation and building works. They may call this an adaptation or decant policy. Ask your housing officer.

The council might not have any suitable accommodation for you. Waiting for temporary accommodation could delay the work.

The council might ask for evidence that you need temporary accommodation.

Get written evidence to show that your property is unsafe for you to live in.

Evidence could be an email, letter or report. It should show that you need temporary accommodation. This should include:

• medical information that explains how the building work would affect you and your condition
• how the building work will affect your home

Medical information

This could be anything that shows how the building works could be unsafe for you because of your condition. For example, how building dust could make your condition worse. Or how disruption could make your mental health condition worse.

This evidence could be a report or letter from a healthcare professional, such as your:

• doctor
• community nurse
• occupational therapist
• speech and language therapist

Building works

Your evidence should show how building work will affect your home and for how long. For example:

• no water supply
• no toilet
• not being able to get into and around your home safely
• nowhere for your overnight carer to sleep

If you cannot get temporary accommodation from the council, you could:

• ask family or friends if you can stay with them
• pay for a short-term hotel or holiday apartment yourself if you can afford it
• apply for emergency housing from the local council

You can apply for emergency local council housing if:

• you are a housing association or council tenant and the council refuses to provide suitable temporary accommodation during adaptations
• you rent from a private landlord or own your home, and it is unsafe for you to stay in your home during adaptations

To be eligible for emergency homeless accommodation, you must show that it is unreasonable for you to stay in your home. This would be because the building works mean that it is not possible to live there with your condition or impairment.

You must also have a ‘priority need’. This includes if you live with young children or have a condition. Not all conditions mean you have a priority need. The council will decide if you have a priority need.

Priority need (Shelter)

If you are offered somewhere to stay, it could be a room in a hotel, bed and breakfast or hostel rather than a flat or house. The emergency accommodation may not be close to your home.

Accommodation options are limited, but councils must try to take your needs into account. This includes access needs and any health or care services you use regularly.

Make a homeless application. This is usually through the council’s homelessness team. If this does not work, you could try contacting social services.

Find your local council’s housing register (Shelter)

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

If you cannot get help from your local council, you can get free support and advice from your local:

• Shelter office
• Citizens Advice
• independent advocate

If you are a housing association or council tenant, your housing provider should only ask you to pay for one property.

Ask your housing provider what you will have to pay for.

If you rent from a private landlord or own your home, you might have to pay for both properties at the same time.

Benefits

You can usually only get benefits for one property.

Discretionary Housing Payment

If your rent is more than your benefits, you can apply for a Discretionary Housing Payment.

This is a payment from the local council. Ask your local council if you can apply.

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

Benefits if you stay with family and friends

If you stay with family and friends during adaptations, you cannot claim benefits for staying in their home. You can still claim benefits for your usual home.

If you have family or friends staying with you while they are making adaptations to their home, get advice from a benefits adviser.

If you need free benefits advice or support in person:

Find an adviser (Advicelocal)

Find a local benefits adviser (Turn2us)

Your tenancy continues if you move out temporarily.

Your landlord cannot rent your usual home to someone else unless they end your tenancy agreement. They cannot end your tenancy without going to court unless you agree to it.

Ask your landlord to confirm that your tenancy will continue. You can use this template for a letter or email.

Letter or email template

Dear [Landlord name]

We have agreed that I will move out of my home for a temporary period while adaptations are made to make my home accessible.

I am writing to confirm that the tenancy remains my main or principal home while work is taking place.

Currently, we expect the works to finish on [date] and I expect to move back in on [date].

Please confirm that you will not rent the property out to anyone else and that I remain a [secure/assured/assured shorthold tenant] while the adaptations are carried out.

Yours sincerely

[Tenant name]

Housing association and council tenants

If your tenancy status is already at risk, ask them to confirm if moving into temporary accommodation could affect this. For example, if your tenancy is at risk due to significant rent arrears or anti-social behaviour.

Rent arrears

Selling the home

It is not against the law for your landlord to sell the home while you are in temporary accommodation. But it is very unlikely that a solicitor would recommend a sale during adaptations work.

You can complain to your council or housing association if you think they are:

• not meeting your needs
• treating you unfairly
• ignoring you
• discriminating against you

Contact your council to ask how to make a complaint.

Find your local council (GOV.UK)

If you are unhappy with the council’s response, you can complain to the ombudsman. See Shelter’s advice on how to make a complaint.

Complain about a council or housing association (Shelter)