Living in a home without permission

Sometimes, people live in a council home when they don’t have the legal right to be there. This is called unauthorised occupation.

It can happen when:

• People swap homes without asking the council first
• Money is paid between tenants to swap homes
• A tenant dies, and someone else stays in the home without permission

What we do

If we find someone living in a home without permission, we will look into it.

Sometimes, the person living there doesn’t know they’re not allowed to stay. If that happens, we will:

• Explain the situation
• Give advice and support
• Help them understand their housing options