Bed & Breakfast Accommodation

B&B accommodation

Most homeless applicants will spend some time living in Bed and Breakfast accommodation.

On 1st April 2004, the Government banned local authorities from housing families with children or pregnant women in bed and breakfast (B&B) accommodation except in emergencies and then, for no longer than six weeks.

Since then we have reduced the use of B&B's.

Avoid B&B altogether

If you think you might become homeless contact HOS  early. That way we have plenty of time to try and stop this from happening, so you can avoid moving to B&B altogether.

What facilities and services will I get?

Room to share

In most bed and breakfast hotels, you will have a room to yourself or to share with family members. Your room is furnished and will contain a basin, bed, chair, table and other basic furniture items.

Linen and laundry

Bed linen is provided and is laundered weekly but you must provide your own cooking utensils.

Bathroom and kitchen

Some rooms have their own en-suite bathroom facilities but in other places you may have to share a bathroom with other residents. Kitchen facilities are shared.

Breakfast

Each morning, breakfast is provided in the dining room. You are normally offered tea, coffee, cereal and toast.

Hotel management

All the hotels we use are independently managed; we do not own or staff the hotels directly. However all hotels must meet certain standards and procedures set by the Council and also laid out in law regarding their safety, cleanliness and quality. We regularly inspect all the hotels used as temporary accommodation to make sure they meet these standards.

How do I pay my rent?

Bank Giro payment

When we first book you into your room, we will give you an information pack. Inside, you will find some Bank Giro payment slips which you should use to pay your rent. You can pay at your local post office.

If you run out of giros, please call 0207 641 1000 or order online. 

Standing order 

You might prefer to set up a standing order to pay your rent. This way, you don't have to make the trip to the post office each week and so lessen your risk of running up arrears.

Costs and charges

Bed and breakfast accommodation is expensive. The average cost of a single room is around £60 per night. We understand that most people cannot afford to pay this themselves, so before we book you in to a bed and breakfast room, we will ask you to complete a Housing Benefit application form.

Click here for more information on Housing Benefit.

Working?

If you are not working, Housing Benefit normally covers most of the rent. If you are a worker you may have to pay more yourself and this can be expensive. If you are worried about this, please speak to your temporary accommodation officer or contact us online.

Rent and Service Charges

The amount you pay is made up of rent and service charges. Your rent is the amount charged for the actual room. The service charges pay for your breakfast and the heating and hot water costs for your room. Service charges are not covered by Housing Benefit, so whatever your income or Housing Benefit entitlement, you have to pay these charges yourself. Service charges are normally around £13 per week for a single room.

Nightly charges

You pay on a nightly basis when in bed and breakfast accommodation. Most people pay their rent and service charges weekly however you can also pay monthly.

I have rent arrears. How does this affect me?

Everyone has to pay something towards the cost of their home, even those who get full Housing Benefit. Sometimes people stop paying and end up with rent arrears. Here's what you can do to avoid getting into debt.

Serious consequences

If your rent arrears rise above £1000 we will stop you bidding for properties. If you need a transfer to a different temporary home, we may not move you until your arrears are paid off. Finally and most importantly, remember you will be evicted if you do nothing about high rent arrears. If this happens it is unlikely that Westminster or any other local authority will offer you another home.

Tell someone!

When you realise you have rent arrears, tell someone! Contact us and we will advise you what to do to solve the problem. You might prefer to get independent advice from an agency such as the Citizen's Advice Bureau. The quicker you call, the easier it is to sort the problem out. Ignoring it will not make it go away.

Are you claiming the right benefits?

Often people end up in arrears because they don't claim benefits to which they are entitled. If you are having difficulties with housing benefit, let us know and we may be able to help.

Make sure you have a good supply of giros

And remember to ask for more before you run out.

Consider a direct debit

Sometimes, setting up a direct debit to pay your weekly rent on time can keep you out of arrears. This way, you are always up to date and don't have to remember to pay each week. Speak to your housing officer if you would like to set this up.

Make an agreement

If you have arrears, we won't expect you to pay them off in one go. It is usually OK to make an agreement to pay at a rate you can afford. If we see that you have been sticking to your agreement for some time, we can often allow you to bid again.

We're here to help

Having debts can be scary. But we are here to help  and will offer support and assistance to get you through your debt problems. Remember, with the right advice, you can get yourself out of trouble.

I have a problem with my room. What do I do?

Your hotel manager is responsible for the day to day running of the hotel. He / she will usually resolve most queries.

Please contact the hotel manager:

• If something in the hotel needs repairing
• For cleaning queries 
• For queries about the laundry / breakfast 
• If you have a complaint about noise or other low level nuisance from another resident

Please call HOS:

Sometimes the hotel manager might not be the right person to help with your problem. Please contact us if:

• You feel that the hotel has not dealt with your query adequately
• You wish to complain about a member of the hotel staff
• You have serious concerns about the behaviour of another resident

If you feel that your hotel placement is unsuitable, please contact us and ask for a transfer.