If you might become homeless

Don't leave it too late before you talk to us

Because of the shortage of housing in Westminster, we can't offer a home to everyone. We will work with you to see if there is a different solution to your housing problem and will do all we can to stop you from losing your home in the first place.

Don't wait until the last minute!

People threatened with homelessness often leave it to the last minute before contacting us, by which time it is often too late for us to help. We are more likely to stop you from becoming homeless if you contact us early.

Contact us

If you might become homeless, please visit us at HOS or email us so we can try to stop this. We will discuss your housing problem and will look at a range of solutions tailored to your circumstances. We may also visit you at home to get a better idea of your situation.

How we can help

• If you are a private tenant or leaseholder we can help to resolve disputes with your landlord to prevent or delay your eviction
• If you are living with parents or friends, we will mediate on your behalf to try and keep you in your home
• We can help you claim housing benefit to clear your rent arrears and prevent your eviction
• We can provide information about low cost home ownership
• We can provide information about accessing hostels and private rented accommodation
• We can see if you are eligible for a load from our Eviction Prevention Fund which offers small interest free loans to reduce or clear rent arrears.

If we think we might have a duty to assist you with housing, we may also offer practical help with finding a tenancy in the private rented sector

What happens if we can't prevent your homelessness?

If we can't stop you from becoming homeless, we will assess you under Part VII Housing Act 1996 (as amended by Housing Act 2002). If we have a duty to you, we will register you to bid for a permanent council or housing association property through Choice Based Lettings and offer you temporary accommodation while you wait.

Find out more

Read more about the homeless assessment process.

Read our leaflet Taking Control of your Finances