Help to keep your home

Our aim is to help people keep their home where possible. Staff at the Newcastle City Council Housing Advice Centre will help you to understand the different options that are available in Newcastle to solve your housing problems. We will

• try to prevent a homelessness situation from occurring, if possible
• explain the processes of homelessness prevention
• provide you with information on your options.
• and where necessary assist in locating alternative accommodation, such as a housing association, local authority or privately rented property

We will give you free advice and information about the different options and support available, and we will help you to work out the best plan for your situation.

If you need housing advice, are at risk of homelessness or are homeless and have nowhere to stay please contact the Housing Advice Centre.

Telephone: 0800 1707 008 
Email: housingadvicecentre@newcastle.gov.uk  

Staff at the Housing Advice Centre will assess your situation and give you free confidential advice with the aim of helping you to keep your home or assisting you to find one that meets your needs.

Opening hours for phone advice
 Monday to Friday, 8.30am to 12 noon and 1pm to 4.30pm 

If it is after 4.30pm (or any time at a weekend) and you have nowhere to sleep tonight please call the out of hours service for advice:

Telephone: 0800 1707 008 (press option 2 for the Operator and ask for the Emergency Homeless Officer)
Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 8am
Saturday and Sunday, 8am to 8am (24 hours)

We can also give you free advice and information about the different options and support available for dealing with debt. 

Email: moneymatters@newcastle.gov.uk
For more information, visit our debt and money advice page

What can you do if you are worried about paying your rent

If you are a Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) tenant, talk to your housing officer and they can help you to set up a realistic repayment plan if you have rent arrears. They can also refer you to an advice and support worker who will be able to give you advice on your financial situation, they will also check to ensure you are receiving all the benefits you are entitled to. Find out how to contact YHN 

Some housing associations will have a similar service and you should notify your housing officer as soon as you get in to difficulty. Their contact details will usually be on any of the letters they have sent you. If you aren't sure who to contact or you don't want to speak directly to them please contact the Housing Advice Centre and they will be able to help. The sooner you do this, the easier it will be to take control of the situation.

If you are in private rented accommodation, contact the Housing Advice Centre. Explain to your landlord the problem and let them know that you have sought help.

If you are receiving Housing Benefit or Universal Credit and are finding it difficult to pay your rent then you can apply for additional help through the Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) scheme.

DHPs are not payments of benefit and you should not rely on a payment being made. They are separate payments that we can make at our discretion if we believe that you need additional short term financial support towards your housing costs. You can find out more about Discretionary Housing Payments here

What can you do if you have received a Notice to Quit

You need to act quickly if you have been given a Notice to Quit.

If you are a Council tenant, Your Homes Newcastle must follow certain procedures before evicting, as part of the Council's Sustaining Tenancies Guidance. For example, your housing officer will try to resolve any arrears issues by making a repayment plan which you should comply with. A referral to an advice and support worker should be made so you can discuss your finances and try to sort out any problems.

If you are a private rented tenant, it is likely that you will have an assured shorthold tenancy agreement. Your landlord doesn't have an automatic right to possession of the property until the fixed term has ended. If the landlord wants possession at the end of the fixed term a written notice must be issued and you must usually be given at least two months' notice. If you had a fixed term contract but it has expired, you will have a statutory periodic tenancy. Your landlord must give at least two months' notice in writing that they require possession of the property if they want you to leave. However special rules apply to these notices and you should seek advice if a notice is issued. You do not have to leave on the expiry of a notice.

The rules on your landlord serving you with notice have changed many times during the Covid- 19 pandemic so it is very important that you seek advice as soon as possible if your landlord asks you to leave. 

If you rent privately and are unsure if your Notice to Quit (Notice Seeking or Requiring Possession) is valid, or you have any other questions regarding the eviction procedure, please contact the Housing Advice Centre.

Other sources of advice and information

There is a range of other advice and support available so that you understand the different options available to help you keep your home. This includes:

• Information on possession proceedings  whether you have a mortgage or you are a tenant 
• Advice on managing debt and checks to ensure you are in receipt of your full benefits. There are also a range of local and national services that can help with debt and maximising your income. You can find out more about these on our Debt and Money Advice page