This information applies to England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
This information is about finding accommodation. It deals mainly with finding rented accommodation, but does include certain schemes run by local authorities and housing associations to help you buy your own home.
If you want to find out more about buying your own home in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, see Buying a home.
If you want to find out more about buying your own home in Scotland, see Buying a home.
In this information we refer to help from local authorities in finding accommodation. In Northern Ireland, this help is provided by the Northern Ireland Housing Executive.
If you are looking for accommodation, you might find it useful to collect:-
The Homeless UK website has information about services for homeless people, including hostels, day centres and other advice and support services. Go to 
www.homelessuk.org.
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 good 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, go to www.welshlandlords.org.uk.
The Scottish Public Services Ombudsman has produced a useful leaflet that summarises all the main options for renting and part-buying accommodation. You can get it at their website at: www.spso.org.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.
Local authorities have a legal duty to provide help to certain people who are homeless or threatened with homelessness. You will qualify for help if you are 'eligible for assistance', legally homeless or threatened with homelessness, in priority need and not intentionally homeless. The local authority may also investigate whether you have a local connection with the area.
Local social services authorities also have responsibility for some homeless people. They have a duty to provide accommodation for children and young people over 16 who are leaving care, or who are in need for other reasons.
Local authorities must not discriminate against you because of your race, sex, disability, sexuality or religion in the help they provide. For example, if you don't understand English, the local authority must provide help and information in your own language. For more information about discrimination, see under heading Discrimination when letting property.
Certain people who arrive in this country, or who are returning from a period living abroad do not qualify for housing under homelessness laws. For example, many asylum-seekers (but not all) are excluded, as is someone who has spent significant time living away from the UK even if they are a UK citizen.
The rules on eligibility are complex and if you are arriving in or returning to the UK, you should seek specialist advice at, 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.
You will be considered legally homeless if you have no accommodation which is available and reasonable for you and your household to live in. This includes accommodation in another country. You will also be homeless if you have accommodation but cannot get into it. For example, if you have somewhere to stay with friends or relatives but have been asked to leave, or you are at risk of violence in your home. You will be considered to be threatened with homelessness, if you are likely to be homeless within 28 days (in Scotland, two months).
You will be counted as in 'priority need' for housing if you are homeless and:-
You may also be in priority need if you fall into one of the following groups. In some cases, you may have to show that your situation has made you vulnerable:-
The groups of people who are in priority need are different depending on whether you live in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland. If you think you fall into a priority need group you can check this with a specialist adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by E-mail, click on nearest CAB.
You may be considered 'intentionally homeless' if you have deliberately done something which has made you lose your home. However, the definition of intentionally homeless is complicated and a decision made by your local authority can often be successfully challenged. For example, if you have become homeless because of rent or mortgage arrears you should not automatically be considered to be intentionally homeless. The local authority must look at each case individually. If you lost your home because of genuine financial problems you will not be homeless through your own fault.
The local authority may refuse to accept responsibility if it thinks that you have no connection with the area where you are looking for help with housing. You would usually be expected to live, work or have family links to have a local connection. In this situation, you may be referred to an area where you do have a connection.
IIf the local authority needs time to carry out enquiries (and if it seems that you are homeless and in priority need), it must make sure you have somewhere to live while it investigates your situation.
If you qualify as homeless, the local authority will have to help you. It does not have to provide accommodation from its own properties. It can house you in various ways, for example, by referring you to a housing association, or arranging accommodation with a private landlord.
If the local authority decides that you are not homeless, it does not have any duties to arrange long-term accommodation for you. However, it will have some duties to help you, and must provide advice and assistance in finding accommodation, or provide a temporary place to stay while you find a permanent home.
In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Housing Executive must give reasons for its decision if it decides you aren't homeless. You can appeal against this decision if you disagree with it.
If you are looking for local authority accommodation you should first 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.
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 Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB including those that can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
While local authorities don't have to have a housing register, in practice, most will keep a housing register or waiting list of people who have applied to rent accommodation. You usually have to fill in an application to apply for local authority 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 normally taken into account will be:
A local authority is not allowed to treat you unfairly when applying for accommodation, because of your race, sex, disability, sexuality or religion – see under heading Discrimination when letting property.
Completing an application to go on the local authority waiting list can be complicated. You may want to get help from an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizens Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB including those who can give advice by e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
Once 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.
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. However, there is usually a limit to the number of offers a local authority will make.
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 seeking accommodation from a registered social landlord you may want to obtain more information 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.
In England, homeshare schemes pair householders in need of company and help around the home, with people who need accommodation and who are willing to give some help in exchange for somewhere to stay.
More information about the scheme is available from the website of NAAPS, a UK charity, at www.naaps.co.uk.
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. In Northern Ireland, this is called the Statutory House Sales Scheme.
Some tenants of housing associations in England, Wales and Northern Ireland have the right to buy their homes. In England and Wales, this is called the 'right to acquire'. In Northern Ireland, housing association tenants may be able to buy their home under the Statutory House Sales Scheme.
For more information about the right to buy or the right to acquire your home in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, see Buying a home, and in Scotland see Your right to buy your home.
Shared ownership schemes are intended to help people who cannot afford to buy a suitable home in any other way. You share ownership with a local authority or housing association. You pay rent to the local authority or housing association 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 Scotland, shared ownership schemes are sometimes known as joint venture schemes. In Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Co-Ownership Housing Association runs a similar scheme, called the co-ownership scheme.
In England and Wales, more information about shared ownership is available from the Homes and Communities Agency – go to www.homesandcommunities.co.uk or phone 0300 134 500.
In Scotland, you can get information about shared ownership from the Scottish Housing Regulator - see under heading Further help.
There are several schemes in England aimed at helping people who otherwise would not be able to afford to buy a home. These schemes are called Social HomeBuy, Open Market HomeBuy, New Build HomeBuy and HomeBuy Direct.
Social HomeBuy is a scheme to help local authority and housing association tenants buy a share in their home. To qualify for Social HomeBuy you must have been a local authority or housing association tenant for at least two years (or five years if you first became a public sector tenant on or after 18 January 2005). If you are accepted onto the scheme, you will buy at least a 25% share in your home and pay rent to your landlord for the rest. You will be able to increase your share up to 100%. You may also be able to reduce your share or go back to renting as a tenant.
If you are interested in Social HomeBuy, you should contact your landlord to find out if they are taking part in the scheme and whether or not you are eligible. It is up to each local authority and housing association to decide whether or not it will take part in the scheme.
Open Market HomeBuy is a scheme to help people buy a home on the open market. It is mainly aimed at key workers (for example teachers, nurses or police officers in areas with high house prices). But you may also be able to take part if you are a first time buyer or a local authority or housing association tenant.
To be considered for Open Market HomeBuy, you need to be able to raise finance to buy a 50% – 60% share in a flat or house and have a household income of less than £60,000.
There are two Open Market HomeBuy products, MyChoiceHomeBuy and Ownhome. Neither requires a deposit but their other features do vary. For more information on these schemes, go to the Homes and Communities Agency website at: www.homesandcommunities.co.uk.
New Build HomeBuy is a scheme to help key workers, first time buyers and social housing tenants to buy a share of a property which has been newly built. The minimum share you can buy is 25% and rent is paid on the remainder to the housing provider, which is usually a housing association.
You will need to be able raise a mortgage for the share you want to buy, and pay rent on the share you don’t own. Rents are set at affordable levels.
HomeBuy Direct is a shared equity scheme for first time buyers and those who can't afford to buy a property without some help in the area where they live or work.
You will be offered an equity loan which can be used as a deposit and can cover up to 30% of the property purchase price. You will then have to make up the rest through a mortgage. This will be a minimimum of 70%. No fee is charged for the equity loan for the first five years.
To find out more about Open Market HomeBuy, New Build HomeBuy and HomeBuy Direct, contact your local HomeBuy Agent. A HomeBuy Agent is a housing association which has been appointed to provide information on affordable housing options in your area. To find details of your local HomeBuy Agent, go to the Homes and Communities Agency website website at: www.homesandcommunities.co.uk.
Homeswithinreach is a home ownership scheme that provides help to eligible first-time buyers trying to get onto the housing ladder. It is intended to provide help to those people who otherwise would be unable to buy adequate housing to meet their needs on the open market.
There are two options for those looking to become homeowners:
HomeBuy Ownership is available to local authority and housing association tenants, and to some other people in housing need. Help is limited to people who would not be able to buy a home without help from the scheme.
If you are accepted onto the scheme, you will usually need to get a mortgage for 70% of the purchase price of the property. Homeswithinreach will lend you the remaining 30% of the purchase price (in some rural areas, the percentages are 50% and 50%). You will need to repay the loan when the property is sold. The amount of money you will need to repay is 30% of the value of the property when it is sold. If the property has increased in value, this will mean that the amount that you repay will be larger than the amount that you initially borrowed.
For more information about HomeBuy, go to the Homeswithinreach website at: www.homeswithinreach.co.uk.
This scheme provides help to eligible first time buyers on middle incomes who cannot afford to purchase a suitable home without help. You must be able to meet the long-term financial commitment of home ownership.
Consideration may be given, on a case by case basis, to first time buyers ‘in their own right’, for example, if you have sold your jointly owned property as a result of divorce.
The properties are for sale on a shared equity basis. You must show that you can afford to purchase approximately 50-70% of the purchase price through a mortgage, savings, or a combination of both. Homeswithinreach will lend you the remaining share of the property price. You will be able to buy further shares from Homeswithinreach if you want to. You don't have to pay rent on the share owned by Homeswithinreach. When the property is sold, Homeswithinreach will get a proportion of the sale price. This will depend on the size of the share they have in the property.
For more details of the scheme, visit the Homeswithinreach website at: www.homeswithinreach.co.uk.
If you live in Scotland and are on a low income, you may be able to get help to buy your own home through LIFT.
LIFT is a scheme offered by housing associations in Scotland. Help is limited to people who would not be able to buy a home without help from the scheme.
If you are accepted onto the scheme, you will usually have to get a mortgage for 60% to 80% of the purchase price. The housing association will fund the remaining 20% to 40%. If you want to sell the property, the housing association will get its share back. For example, if the housing association funded 20% of the purchase price, it will get 20% of the sale price.
You can find out more about LIFT from your local housing association, or from the Scottish Housing Regulator at www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk.
Co-ownership is a scheme which helps people who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford it, buy their own home.
The scheme is run by the Northern Ireland Co-Ownership Housing Association Limited (NICHA). It allows you to buy a mortgage for as much as you can afford to pay, and pay the rest in rent to the NICHA.
You must buy at least 40% of the property to start with. If you can afford it, you can buy 62.5% of the property, or a maximum of 75%. The rent you pay is based on the value of the property and the size of the share you own. The larger your share, the lower the rent you pay.
You can increase your share of ownership at any time, either by buying 12.5% at a time, or all in one go. You don't have to increase your share of ownership if you don't want to.
For more information about the Co-Ownership scheme, contact the Northern Ireland Co-Ownership Housing Association Ltd at:
Murray House
Murray Street
Belfast
BT1 6DN
Tel: 0800 333644(freephone)
Website: www.co-ownership.org
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
An accommodation 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 England and Wales, when you register with an accommodation agency, it is only legally allowed to charge a fee when it finds you somewhere to live. Once you have signed a contract to accept the tenancy of a property, the fee the agency can charge is unlimited. As part of their fees, some agencies are allowed to include an administrative charge for preparing a tenancy agreement, making an inventory, and other costs of setting up a tenancy agreement.
In Scotland, an accommodation agency can only charge for checking references, as long as the charge is not too high. If you think the charge is too high, you should get advice.
In Northern Ireland, an accommodation agency may ask for an initial administration fee for checking references and finding the property. You may wish to compare the charges with other accommodation agencies before signing a tenancy agreement. If the fee is not included in the tenancy agreement, you should seek advice as it may not be legal. If a tenancy agreement states that you have to pay any fees for the letting agent acting for the landlord this is likely to be illegal. While a deposit is legal, if you have been asked specifically for 'key money' this is also likely to be illegal.
It is against the law for an agency to ask for payment for:-
If you are offered accommodation by an agency, you should inspect the property before accepting it and ensure you have full details about:-
For more information about types of tenancy in England and Wales, see Private sector tenancies, in Scotland see Private sector tenancies.
Where possible, you should use an 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 Institute 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.
An accommodation agency can refuse to register you. It may do this, for example, because:-
If you experience discrimination for any of these reasons, you may be able to take action under human rights law. You should seek specialist advice.
It is illegal for an accommodation agency to discriminate on grounds of disability, race, sexuality, religion, belief or sex, even where, for example, a landlord has said that they do not want a tenant of a particular race or gender, 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 accommodation agency for any reason, you should talk to 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 e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
A landlord or an accommodation agency acting on your behalf might ask you to pay a deposit or premium for your accommodation.
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 deposit will probably be deducted from 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 as a holding deposit cannot be returned unless you are unable to move in for reasons beyond your control. Examples of this are if the landlord asks for more rent than was originally agreed, or the accommodation is not ready on the date the tenancy is due to begin.
If you cannot get a holding deposit back although you have a good reason not to take up a tenancy you should consult an experienced adviser, for example, at a Citizen’s Advice Bureau. To search for details of your nearest CAB, including those that can give advice by email, click on nearest CAB.
In Scotland, a landlord is not allowed to ask for money for granting or renewing a tenancy – see below under Premiums.
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.
In England and Wales, if you pay a deposit to a private landlord or accommodation agency on or after 6 April 2007, your landlord 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.
For more information about tenancy deposits in England and Wales, see Tenancy deposits in Housing fact sheets.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, if you have a disagreement with your landlord about your deposit at the end of your tenancy, you should talk to 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 e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
In England and Wales, a landlord can charge you a premium, or ‘key money’ for granting a tenancy. There is no limit on what can be asked by a landlord. If the amount appears unreasonable, you have no choice other than not to take the accommodation.
In Scotland and Northern Ireland, it is illegal for a landlord or accommodation agency to ask for a payment for granting or renewing a tenancy. These payments are often called 'premiums', 'key money' or 'holding deposits'. They can be recovered and the landlord can be fined. However, in practice, it is often difficult to enforce this as the meaning of 'premium' is unclear. You may be faced with a choice of whether to pay the premium or go elsewhere.
If you want to challenge a premium that your landlord is charging you should talk to 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 e-mail, click on nearest CAB.
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.
You can get details of rent deposit and guarantee schemes around the UK from the Crisis Smartmove website at www.crisis.org.uk/nrdf/index.php.
In England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, the landlord has to provide an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) for all new lets of self-contained accommodation. Self-contained accommodation does not cover:
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.
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.
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 EPCs in England and Wales, go to the website of the Department for Communities and Local Government at: www.communities.gov.uk.
In Scotland, go to the Scottish Building Standard's website at: www.sbsa.gov.uk.
In Northern Ireland, go to the website of the Department of Finance and Personnel (NI) at: www.dfpni.gov.uk.
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 race, sex, sexuality, religion, belief or disability. They are probably breaking the law if, because of your race, sex, disability, sexuality, religion or belief they:
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, your landlord mustn't discriminate against you because of your 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 race discrimination, see Taking action about race discrimination.
For more information about sex discrimination, see Taking action about sex discrimination.
For more information about disability discrimination, see Disability discrimination.
In England, Wales and Scotland, for more information about religious discrimination, see Discrimination because of religion or belief.
If you're disabled, you can ask your landlord (or future landlord) to make certain changes to the property and to their policies when this is necessary for you to be able to live in the property. These changes are known as reasonable adjustments. Landlords who refuse to make reasonable adjustments are discriminating against you and are breaking the law, unless they can justify this, for example, on health and safety grounds.
Reasonable adjustments can include:
What is reasonable will depend on the individual circumstances, including:
Your landlord doesn't have to take any steps that involve the removal or alteration of physical features, for example, putting in a permanent, concrete ramp, or major works involving serious damage to the property.
It also counts as discrimination if your landlord tries to evict you or increase the rent, because of the cost of an adjustment you have asked to be made.
Your landlord doesn't usually have to make reasonable adjustments for you if they live in the same property as you.
If you think you are being discriminated against when you are renting property because you're disabled, 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.
The Shelter website provides information about a range of housing options, including help for homeless people, private renting and home ownership. The website address is: www.shelter.org.uk.
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:-
Shelter
88 Old Street
London EC1V 9HU
Tel: 020 7505 2000 or 0800 446441
Fax: 020 7505 2169
Email: info@shelter.org.uk
Website: www.shelter.org.uk
Shelter Cymru
25 Walter Road
Swansea SA1 5NN
Tel: 01792 469400
Fax: 01792 460050
E-mail: mail@sheltercymru.org.uk
Website: www.sheltercymru.org.uk
Shelter
4th Floor
Scotia Bank House
6 South Charlotte Street
Edinburgh EH2 4AW
Tel: 0844 515 2000
Website: http://scotland.shelter.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 Service
Middleton Buildings
Fourth Floor
10-12 High Street
Belfast BT1 2BA
Tel: 028 9024 5640
Fax: 028 9031 2200
E-mail: hrs@housingrights.org.uk
Website: www.housing-rights.org.uk
The Scottish Housing Regulator
Highlander House
58 Waterloo Street
GLASGOW
G2 7DA
Tel: 0141 271 3810
Fax: 0141 221 5030
E-mail: shr@scottishhousingregulator.gsi.gov.uk
Website: www.scottishhousingregulator.gov.uk
There is a useful website about housing in England 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 is: www.housing-rights.info.
The Homes and Communities Agency
110 Buckingham Palace Road
Victoria
London
SW1W 9SA
Tel: 0300 1234 500
E-mail: mail@homesandcommunities.co.uk
Website: www.homesandcommunities.co.uk
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
Tavistock House
5 Rodney Road
Cheltenham
GL50 1HX
Tel: 01242 581712
Fax: 01242 232518
E-mail: info@nalscheme.co.uk
Website: www.nalscheme.co.uk
Arbon House
6 Tournament Court
Edgehill Drive
Warwick
CV34 6LG
Tel: 01926 496800
Fax: 01926 417788
E-mail: 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.
31b Arbon House
21 Jury Street
Warwick
CV34 4EH
Tel: 01926 496800
Fax: 01926 400953
E-mail: info@naea.co.uk
Website: www.naea.co.uk
Surveyor Court
Westwood Business Park
Westwood Way
Coventry
CV4 8JE
Tel: 0870 333 1600
Email: contactrics@rics.org
Website: www.rics.org
9 Manor Place
Edinburgh
EH3 7DN
Tel: 0131 225 7078
E-mail: contactrics@rics.org
The Director/Chief Executive
Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors
9-11 Corporation Square
BELFAST
BT1 3AJ
Tel: 028 9032 2877
Fax: 028 9023 3465
Email: ricsni@rics.org
Website: www.rics.org
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