10 February 2012
This information applies to Scotland
If you are under 18 you do not have to pay council tax.
For more information, see Council tax.
In most circumstances, you can leave home without the consent of your parents once you are 16.
If you are in conflict with your parent(s) you may be forced to leave home. Mediation may help you to resolve the conflict.
If you are over 16 your parents only have a responsibility to provide guidance and this may not include the provision of accommodation. Unless you are either a joint owner or tenant in the property you will not have any right to stay. If your parents are married either can ask you to leave. However, if they are not married and only one parent is the owner or tenant, it is only the owner or tenant who can force you to leave. If you are under 16, or you are over 16 and you have previously been in care, and you are forced to leave by your parents, the local authority is likely to get involved and must provide care and accommodation for you.
If you are 16 or over you can apply to the local authority for a home of your own. Local authority landlords and social landlords must admit applicants over 16 to their housing lists. However, the right to be admitted onto a waiting list is not the same as the right to be allocated a house.
If you move into rented accommodation you may want to claim housing benefit. Although there is no age restriction on claiming housing benefit, the amount you can get if you are under 25 and have no children is restricted.
For information about housing benefit, see Help with your rent – Housing Benefit.
You can own property in your own right at any age. You can buy and sell property from the age of 16 without parental consent. However, between the ages of 16 and 18 the court can set aside certain transactions or contracts that you make. This is because there may be a question over the validity of the contract. It may be difficult for you to buy or sell property if the person with whom the transaction is being made knows that at some later stage the court could be asked to set aside the contract.
If you are 16 or over and you leave home voluntarily you may be able to get accommodation from the local authority as a homeless person if certain conditions are met. If you are forced to leave your family home there is a greater chance that you will meet those conditions and be given emergency accommodation.
These rules also apply if you are a young asylum seeker. If you don't understand English, the local authority must provide you with help and information in your own language. If you are given accommodation in a children's home your religious needs must be taken account of, for example, if you are a Muslim you should be offered Halal food.
For more information on young people and homelessness, see Finding accommodation.
It's illegal for someone who is providing you with accommodation or other housing services, for example housing advice, to discriminate against you because of your disability, gender reassignment, pregnancy and maternity rights, race, sex, sexuality or religion.
For more information about discrimination see the section about discrimination.
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.
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
Mediation can help families talk about difficult issues, and may be able to prevent homelessness. Everyone has the chance to have their say, be listened to and treated as equals. A mediator is impartial and will help everyone to come to an agreement about what they want to happen in the future.
To find details of your nearest mediator, contact:-
Scottish Mediation Network
18 York Place
Edinburgh
EH1 3EP
Tel: 0131 556 1221
Helpline: 0131 556 8118
Email: admin@scottishmediation.org.uk
Website: www.scottishmediation.org.uk
Shelter Scotland can provide information about your housing rights and help if you are homeless. For free housing advice call Shelter on 0808 800 4444 or visit their website at scotland.shelter.org.uk
6 South Charlotte Street
Edinburgh
EH2 4AW
Tel: 0844 515 2000
Website: scotland.shelter.org.uk
Oswald Street
Glasgow
G1 4QR
Tel: 0141 226 4441
Fax: 0141 226 4445
Email: enquiries@whocaresscotland.org
Website: www.whocaresscotland.org
Who Cares? Scotland can provide information and support for children and young people who are, or have been looked after.
Website: www.youngscotextra.org
E-mail: infoline@youngscot.org
InfoLine 0808 801 0338 (Mon - Fri 10am - 6pm) confidential and free on landlines and mobiles
Typetalk: 18001 0808 801 0338
Young Scot offers free and confidential advice online, by e-mail and phone or text “callback” with a time you can be contacted to 07781 484317.
You can find more information about the rights of children and young people elsewhere in Adviceguide.
For more information about the general rights of children and young people, see Young people's rights.
For information about employment, see Young people and employment.
For information about family matters, see Young people and family.
For information about money and consumer rights, see Young people - money and consumer rights.
For information about benefits, see Young people and benefits.
For information about health and personal issues, see Young people - health and personal.
For information about the law and young people, see Young people and the law.
For information about transport, see Young people - travel and transport.
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