Your rights to housing if you're under 18
If you鈥檙e homeless
You may be considered legally homeless if the place you live is unsafe, unsuitable or you have no legal right to be there. You can be legally homeless if you鈥檙e staying with friends or another family for a while. You do not have to be sleeping rough to be homeless.
If you鈥檙e under 16
If you鈥檙e under 16 and having serious problems at home, contact Children鈥檚 Services at your local council. They鈥檒l try and help you sort things out so you can stay at home. If living at home is too dangerous or impossible, they can:
- arrange for you to live with another family member or adult, like a friend鈥檚 parent
- find you emergency accommodation
- look at other options including living with a foster family
If you鈥檙e 16 or 17
If you鈥檙e under 18, it鈥檚 unlikely you鈥檒l be able to sign a tenancy contract or mortgage agreement.
If you鈥檙e 16 or 17 and homeless, you鈥檒l usually be provided with accommodation by Children鈥檚 Services at your local council. This is because you鈥檒l be considered a 鈥榗hild in need鈥�.
Children鈥檚 Services will also consider if there鈥檚 any way you can return home or go and live with another relative. They cannot force you to go back somewhere you do not feel safe.
What a 鈥榗hild in need鈥� is
You鈥檙e a 鈥榗hild in need鈥� if you鈥檙e under 18 and:
- you鈥檙e living with a violent person
- you do not have money for food
- you do not have anywhere to live
- you have problems that affect your health or education (for example you鈥檙e disabled)
- your home is uninhabitable (for example if there鈥檚 been a fire or flood)