It's important to first know what type of tenancy you have.
Once you know the type of tenancy you have, you can select the advice that’s right for you and understand what steps you should take to maintain your tenancy and continue living in your home.
What type of tenancy you have
If you are renting, you may have a social housing tenancy or be renting privately.
If you are renting and:
- you have a private landlord
- you don’t live with your landlord
- and you started renting on or after 15 January 1989
you most likely have an assured shorthold tenancy or an assured tenancy.
Check your tenancy agreement to see what type of tenancy you may have.
If you are not sure which type of tenancy you have, use the tenancy checker on the Shelter website.
Worried you can't afford your rent
If your financial circumstances have changed and you are worried you may not be able to meet your rent payments, it is important that you act quickly.
You should consider the following:
- Speak with your landlord as early as possible about what is happening, for example, you may have lost your job. See if your landlord would consider renegotiating the rent. If you are already in rent arrears, discuss making additional payments to clear any arrears.
- Contact the Citizens Advice for benefits advice as you may be entitled to benefits to cover any shortfall in your rent.
- Maybe you have a spare room you could rent out. Check with your landlord if they will allow you to do this.
- Take on a second job to bring in more income if your circumstances allow.
- Ask Universal Credit to pay your rent directly to your landlord if this helps ensure your landlord receives your rent on time.
Landlord harassment or illegal eviction
If you are receiving threats from your landlord, or someone associated with your landlord, to leave your home, or if attempts have been made to forcefully remove you physical from your home, please contact the police on 999.
Know your rights
Learn more about your rights when facing eviction from the following Shelter resources:
- Eviction of assured shorthold tenants
- Section 8 eviction notices
- Eviction of regulated tenants
- Eviction of lodgers
- Rent arrears in a housing association or council home
- how to deal with landlord harassment
For additional information and advice around evictions, please visit:
Lambeth Council tenants
If you are a council tenant and want to know more about the reasons why an eviction may take place, please read our Tenant's handbook: your tenancy agreement (PDF 452KB).
To avoid being faced with eviction, you should:
- make contact with your neighbourhood housing office as early as possible if you are facing financial difficulties or have had a change in your household’s circumstances
- adhere to payment arrangements discussed and agreed with your neighbourhood housing office to clear any rent arrears
Eviction for anti-social behaviour
Landlords will generally only seek to have someone evicted for anti-social behaviour if the behaviour is serious and persistent and all other interventions have failed.
For further information on your rights, visit eviction from a council home for anti-social behaviour.
Support if you're a vulnerable person
If you are a vulnerable Lambeth tenant, you may be able to get support with housing, or be signposted to services that can help. Contact the Neighbourhood Housing Tenancy Support team by:
- phone on 020 7926 9772
- email at NHTSDuty@lambeth.gov.uk.
Still need support?
Our Housing Advice Service may be able to help you.
If you are homeless or due to be homeless in the next 56 days, the council may have a legal duty to prevent or relieve your homelessness.
If you have received a notice to leave your property and require advice and assistance, you may need to make a homeless application.