Advice: Can I get private rented accommodation?

Accommodation available to rent from private landlords may be a house or self-contained flat, a bedsit, or part of a house or flat shared with other people, sometimes the landlord. Over recent decades, there has been a big decline in the amount of private rented housing available.

Finding decent, affordable accommodation in the private sector in London can be a real problem in some areas, especially if you are homeless and unemployed with no savings. The accommodation that is available may be poor quality or in disrepair, or it may be good quality but expensive. Many private landlords will not accept unemployed people, and high rent deposits and rent in advance can also make it very difficult to afford to rent privately.

In recent years, some local councils and charities have set up rent deposit schemes to help if you are homeless and do not have enough money for a deposit to get private rented accommodation. You can find out more about accessing private rented accommodation and whether a rent deposit scheme operates in your area (and who is eligible) by contacting your council’s Housing Department.

Further information

• To find out more about how to find private rented accommodation, look at the advice section of Shelter's website.
• To find details of your local council's Housing Department on Homeless London, select the Service option Housing Department and the relevant Area on Search all services.
• The National Landlords Association is a national representative body for private landlords. The National Landlords Association website includes a search for properties that are being let by members of the Association who are bound by the Association's code of practice.