Housing

Renting, buying and help with housing costs

• Are garden bonfires allowed?Bonfire laws UK: when garden bonfire smoke is a statutory nuisance, fines for smoke drifting onto roads and how councils handle complaints. From GOV.UK.
• Can I buy my council home?Right to Buy lets most council tenants in England buy their home at a discount. Who qualifies, the 3-year rule and Preserved Right to Buy. From GOV.UK.
• Can I get a grant to adapt my home for a disability?Disabled Facilities Grants to adapt your home: up to £30,000 in England and £36,000 in Wales, how the means test works and who is exempt. From GOV.UK.
• Can I get help paying my mortgage interest?Support for Mortgage Interest is a loan to help with mortgage interest if you get Universal Credit, Pension Credit or income-related ESA. From GOV.UK.
• Can I sublet my rented home?When you can sublet a private or council home, the difference between a lodger and a subtenant, and the penalties for unlawful subletting. From GOV.UK.
• Can my landlord evict me?Section 21 is being phased out. When a private landlord in England can evict you, section 8 notices, the court process and free advice. From GOV.UK.
• Can my landlord refuse a pet?Tenants in England can ask to keep a pet, and landlords must reply within 28 days and need a fair reason to refuse. Who it covers. From GOV.UK.
• Can you get Universal Credit if you own your home?Can you get Universal Credit if you own your home? How the SMI mortgage interest loan works, the £200,000 limit and help with service charges. From GOV.UK.
• Do I need an EPC to sell or rent my home?When you need an Energy Performance Certificate to sell or rent a home, what the A to G rating means, how long it lasts and how to get one. From GOV.UK.
• Do I need an HMO licence?When landlords need an HMO licence, what counts as an HMO, room sizes, safety duties, how long a licence lasts and the fines. From GOV.UK.
• Do I need planning permission?When you need planning permission, what permitted development rights cover, how it differs from building regulations and enforcement. From GOV.UK.
• Does my landlord have to protect my deposit?Your landlord must protect your deposit in a government-approved tenancy deposit scheme within 30 days and return it within 10 days. From GOV.UK.
• How can I find out who owns a property?Find out who owns a property or land in England and Wales: the title register costs £7, official copies £11, and help if land is unregistered. From GOV.UK.
• How do I apply for council housing?How to apply for council housing: joining the waiting list, points and bands, choice-based lettings, and what tenancy you get. From GOV.UK.
• How do I complain to the Housing Ombudsman?How to complain about a council or housing association landlord in England, the time limits, and when to go to the Housing Ombudsman. From GOV.UK.
• How do I extend the lease on my flat or house?How a lease extension works for flats and houses, the 80-year point, peppercorn ground rent and what to do if you cannot agree. From GOV.UK.
• How do I get my title deeds from the Land Registry?How to get your title register, title plan and copies of deeds from HM Land Registry, what each costs, and what to do about unregistered land. From GOV.UK.
• How do I join the housing register?How to join your council's housing register, how points and bands work, choice-based lettings, offers and reviews, plus Northern Ireland. From GOV.UK.
• How do I resolve a boundary dispute with my neighbour?How to sort out a boundary dispute: title plans, boundary agreements (£40), determined boundaries (£90), mediation and tribunals. From GOV.UK.
• How do I sort out a dispute with my neighbour?Noisy neighbours or another dispute? Talk or write first, contact their landlord, try mediation, then council noise complaints or the police. From GOV.UK.
• How do you do a right to rent check?How landlords in England do a right to rent check: who to check, manual and share code checks, copies, follow-up checks and help. From GOV.UK.
• How is tax on rental income worked out?How tax on rental income works in 2026/27: allowable expenses, the 20% mortgage interest credit, the £1,000 allowance and when to file. From GOV.UK.
• How much notice do I give to leave my rented home?How to end your tenancy in England: give at least 2 months' notice in writing, how to give notice and joint tenancy rules since 1 May 2026. From GOV.UK.
• How much Stamp Duty will I pay?Stamp Duty calculator guide for England and NI: rates, first-time buyer relief up to £300,000, the 5% second home surcharge and examples. From GOV.UK.
• How often can my landlord put the rent up?A section 13 notice on form 4A is how a landlord in England raises the rent: once a year, with 2 months' notice, and how to challenge it. From GOV.UK.
• What are building regulations and when do I need approval?What building regulations cover, work that needs approval, the 3 ways to apply, competent person schemes and what happens if you skip it. From GOV.UK.
• What are my rights as a tenant if my home has damp and mould?Your rights if your rented home has damp and mould: landlord duties, Awaab's Law time limits for social housing, councils and the Housing Ombudsman. From GOV.UK.
• What are the Local Housing Allowance rates for 2026/27?LHA rates for April 2026 to March 2027 are frozen at 2024 levels. How your rate is set, bedroom rules and example weekly rates. From GOV.UK.
• What changed for renters on 1 May 2026?From 1 May 2026, assured tenancies in England became rolling periodic tenancies with no end date. Notice rules and what it means for you. From GOV.UK.
• What does priority need mean if I am homeless?Who has priority need for homelessness help in England, the vulnerability test, the 21 day review deadline and rules in Scotland and Wales. From GOV.UK.
• What help can I get if I'm homeless?If you're homeless or at risk within 8 weeks, your council in England must help. What counts as homeless and the help you can get. From GOV.UK.
• What help is there if I am behind with my rent?Rent arrears help: key eviction deadlines, Universal Credit help with rent, Breathing Space and council support for tenants in England. From GOV.UK.
• What is a Discretionary Housing Payment?What a Discretionary Housing Payment is, who can get one, what it covers and how England's new Housing Payment works from April 2026. From GOV.UK.
• What is a Help to Buy ISA and can I still use one?Help to Buy ISA rules for existing savers: 25% bonus up to £3,000, pay in until November 2029, claim by November 2030, price limits. From GOV.UK.
• What is a party wall agreement and when do I need one?When you need a party wall agreement, how much notice to give, the 14 day reply rule, surveyors and party wall awards. From GOV.UK.
• What is a private residential tenancy in Scotland?What a private residential tenancy in Scotland is, how rent increases work, how to end it and the changes from October 2026. From gov.scot.
• What is a section 8 notice?What a section 8 notice is, the main grounds and notice periods since 1 May 2026, and what tenants in England should do next. From GOV.UK.
• What is a tree preservation order?What a tree preservation order is, what you can and cannot do, how to get consent, conservation area rules and how to appeal in England. From GOV.UK.
• What is an occupation contract in Wales?The Renting Homes (Wales) Act explained: occupation contracts, secure and standard contracts, written statements and 6 month notice rules. From GOV.WALES.
• What is leasehold ground rent and do I have to pay it?What leasehold ground rent is, when you must pay it, the peppercorn rule for new leases since June 2022 and how to get a refund. From GOV.UK.
• What is permitted development and what can I build without planning permission?What permitted development is, the size limits for extensions, lofts, outbuildings and porches, and when the rights do not apply. From GOV.UK.
• What is selective licensing for landlords?What selective licensing is, why councils use it, how long schemes last, who is covered and the penalties for letting without a licence. From GOV.UK.
• What is shared ownership and how does it work?How shared ownership works in England: shares from 25% to 75%, the £80,000 or £90,000 income limit, rent, staircasing and selling. From GOV.UK.
• What is the bedroom tax?What the bedroom tax is, how the 14% and 25% cuts work, who can have their own bedroom, worked examples and help with the shortfall. From GOV.UK.
• What is the First Homes scheme?How the First Homes scheme works in England: 30% to 50% off, income and price caps, how to apply and the rules for letting or selling. From GOV.UK.
• What is the Renters' Rights Act and who does it cover?Who the Renters' Rights Act covers, what changed on 1 May 2026, who is left out and what is still to come for renters in England. From GOV.UK.
• What is the Universal Credit housing element?What the Universal Credit housing element is, who gets it, the spare room and non-dependant cuts for 2026/27, and how it is paid. From GOV.UK.
• What repairs is my landlord responsible for?Landlord responsibilities for repairs: what your landlord must fix, what tenants must do, safety checks and what to do if repairs are ignored. From GOV.UK.