I think I’m going to lose my home

You might have been served notice by your landlord, or been told you’re going to be evicted. Or you may be in debt and think you’re going to lose your home. Whatever the situation, there’s lots of help and advice available.

You may have been threatened with eviction, or have been asked to move out by friends and family and need our help. Here’s some examples of what we can offer:
  • Support to negotiate with family members or your landlord to help you stay in your home
  • Financial assistance to help you keep your current home or secure other accommodation
  • Assess whether you could join the Council’s housing register

We are not always able to help you stay in your home, or get into other accommodation within the time we aim to. In these situations, we need to make a decision about whether we have a duty to ensure you have accommodation, which will depend on your level of vulnerability and the cause of your homelessness.

If you’re homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, you should contact our Homeless Team.

You can complete the Housing Assistance Referral Portal

You can also contact the team by email at homelessness@rochdale.gov.uk

You can also contact them by telephone on 0300 303 8548

For out of hours enquiries, call 0300 303 8875

Their opening hours are:
  • 09.00am to 4.45pm, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday
  • 1.00pm to 4.45pm, Wednesday
Domestic abuse is not just physical violence. It happens where a family member, partner or ex-partner (including same-sex partner) controls you through things like bullying, verbal abuse, sexual violence, not letting you have any money, or keeping you isolated by stopping you seeing your friends or family.

If you’re experiencing domestic abuse, there’s a range of support available to help you and if you need emergency accommodation you should contact the Homeless Team or the Housing Solutions Team as soon as possible.

 

  • Emergency Accommodation

    If you’re experiencing domestic abuse and you want a place in a refuge, call the NDV Helpline. A refuge is an emergency safe house for women and children, where you can get support until something longer term can be sorted out. You will probably be offered a place in a refuge immediately, but the refuge is likely to be away from your local area. There are a small number of refuge places for men. Call the Men’s Advice Line.


  • Helplines you can get confidential advice from:
    • National Domestic Violence (NDV) 24 hour Helpline: 0808 2000 247
    • Men’s Advice Line: 0808 801 0327
    • National lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans helpline (GALOP): 0800 999 5428I

       

  • If your personal safety is threatened, you should call the police on 999.
    • When you cannot talk, dial 999 then press 55 when prompted. This is called the Silent Solution system.
    • For non-emergency police assistance, dial 101 for the Greater Manchester Police Switchboard (24 hour service) email rochdale@victimsupport.org.uk.
    • For more localised help, see Who can help with domestic abuse?

     

  • Other options to Refuge
    • Staying Put.
      If you cannot or do not want to leave your home and are at continued risk of abuse, Rochdale Victim Support may be able to support you.
    • Make Your Home Safer.
      As well as staying in your home we can also support you with improving your safety at home. Email Saferhomesscheme@Rochdale.gov.uk
    • Get the Home in Your Name.
      In some situations the courts will transfer the home into your name, even if your partner is currently the sole owner or tenant. A family law solicitor can advise you on this. Call the Civil Legal Advice helpline on 0345 345 4 345 to find out if you qualify for legal aid.
If you’re a private tenant and the landlord has asked you to leave, contact the Council’s Private Rented Team urgently so they can establish:
  • whether your landlord has followed the rules when asking to leave
  • what assistance is available to enable you to keep your home

See also Problems with your landlord or rented property

If you're a Housing Association tenant and the landlord has served a Notice of Seeking Possession, or given you a court date, contact them urgently to discuss how you can resolve the issues.

You can also contact the Rochdale Housing Solutions Team to discuss options available.
If you’re in arrears or struggling with debt you might be worried about or threatened with losing your home, it's best to get help as soon as this starts to become a problem and tackle it early, rather than leave it and let your arrears or debts spiral out of control.

Further help is available for: