Homeless Prevention and Housing Options

 
 

Assistance for private tenants and leaseholders

Who can we help? 

Are you a leaseholder or a private tenant? Are you having problems with your landlord? We can help!

We have specialist officers who can help you if:

  • your landlord wants to end your tenancy or lease
  • your landlord claims you owe rent or wants to put your rent up
  • your landlord will not do repairs
  • your landlord or ex-landlord refuses to give you your deposit back
  • you are behind with your mortgage payments
  • your landlord wants you to move out of your home for a while so that it can be repaired or refurbished

What can we do?

We also enforce certain laws protecting Westminster residents and can take action if:

  • you are unlawfully harassed or evicted from your home
  • your landlord or the agent refuses to give you your landlord’s name and address
  • you pay a variable service charge and your landlord fails, when asked, to supply you with a summary of costs in relation to service charges or a details of the insurance cover for the building, or fails to let you inspect any documents used to produce the summary of costs
  • your rent is payable weekly and your landlord refuses to give you a rent book
  • an accommodation agency asks you for money before finding you a home

Janice's story

'I have been living in my private rented flat for several years and love the place - it suits me down to the ground and I really don't want to leave. Everything had been fine until about three months ago, when my landlord started letting himself into my flat without warning. Once, he came in when I was in bed - I awoke to find him sitting in the living room.

I politely asked him to stop however he said that it was his flat and he could come and go as he pleased. I felt that this was totally unreasonable, but didn't know what to do. My friend suggested I call the Housing Options Service.

I spoke to a lovely chap called Mick who listened to my problem and confirmed that my landlord was out of order. He advised me of my rights and agreed to contact the landlord on my behalf. Obviously what Mick said worked, because my landlord stopped barging in unannounced. He now gives me the required 24 hours notice before he comes round and even apologised for his actions. He said he didn't realise he had to give notice. Hopefully I can now enjoy my home in peace again!' 

Contact us 

Contact the tenancy relations officers on 0207 641 1000 for an informal chat.