Temporary accommodation
We may offer you temporary accommodation as a last resort if you’re homeless.
Temporary accommodation is somewhere to stay while you find a long-term home. Temporary accommodation might be a hotel, flat, house, bedsit or a room in a shared house. It may also be outside of the borough, or outside of London.
How we decide what type of accommodation to offer you
We will consider the specific needs of you and your household before we offer you somewhere.
These include:
- medical, for example, whether you need to attend regular hospital appointments
- educational, for example, whether any children in the family have special educational needs or disabilities (SEND)
- financial, for example, how much money you earn and how much rent you can pay
- employment, for example, how easy it will be for you to get to work
What we might offer you
There is not enough temporary accommodation available in the borough or in London for everyone who needs it.
You may need to:
- move out of the borough or London, for example, somewhere like Kent
- move at short notice multiple times
- stay somewhere with limited cooking facilities
- share with other people, for example, in a hostel
- rehome your pets
When we offer hotel rooms
We offer hotel rooms when there are no other options available. We try to offer rooms in South East London and Kent but when this is not possible, we will offer rooms in other areas.
If you are not happy with the temporary accommodation we offer you
You can refuse to accept the place that we offer but we may not offer you anywhere else.
How long you might be in temporary accommodation
This depends on how quickly you can find a long-term home.
If you work with us, we can help you find a private rented home and you can move out quicker.
Find an affordable home to rent.