Housing

The types of housing assistance offered by Worcester City Council are all discretionary, except for the Disabled Facilities Grant, and are subject to Worcester City Council having sufficient resources.

There are a variety of different types of assistance, and these may be available to homeowners and tenants based on eligibility, priority, or on a first come first served basis depending on the scheme.

Information, advice and "signposting" services are also available and may refer households for grants to cover repairs, maintenance and improvements including energy efficiency measures.

You will find below a brief description of each grant available. Some grants are administered or managed in co-operation with other organisations, such as Millbrook Health or Act on Energy. For further information please visit the relevant grants page.

Grant	Grant Description
Disabled Facility Grants (DFG)	The Disabled Facility Grant is a mandatory grant for a person requiring adaptations to their property, the grant will enable the person to remain living in the property independently.
Energy Efficiency Grants	The Home Repair Assistance is a discretionary assistance to ensure that vulnerable people remain safe and healthy in their homes. It is available for households that do not have the financial resources to pay for necessary works to their home.
Home Repair Assistance	The Home Repair Assistance is a discretionary assistance to ensure that vulnerable people remain safe and healthy in their homes. It is available for households that do not have the financial resources to pay for necessary works to their home.

An empty home is a wasted resource, both for the owner who could otherwise make financial gains by letting or selling the property, and for those who are in need of housing. Returning empty properties into use helps increase housing supply and regenerate run down areas. It is also important to consider the blight that empty properties sometimes cause to local areas in attracting petty crime and devaluing neighbouring property.

Property owners should generally be free to decide how their property is used. However, this fundamental right needs to be balanced against the rights of others living in the community in which the property is located. In ensuring a reasonable balance is struck, there is a legitimate public interest in ensuring empty homes do not have an undue impact on the local community, and where they do there is a reasonable prospect that the matter will be resolved.

We encourage responsible ownership through a variety of methods:

Free advice and information to owners and prospective landlords on available options.
Enforcement action on problem properties where necessary.

If you are concerned about an empty property in your area and you wish to report it please use our Report Empty Property form.

Property standards concerns and housing hazards

Housing hazards are defined under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS). Property standards officers can conduct inspections and score hazards that they observe. Based on this scoring the council may then have a duty or discretion to act. Some of the hazards listed in the HHSRS include Damp and Mould, Excess Heat or Cold, Hygiene, Sanitation, Falls, Electrical Hazards, Collisions, Cuts and Strains. Shelter provide a full list of hazards and their definitions

Some issues such as nuisances, pollution and pests are handled by Worcestershire Regulatory Services.

If you are concerned about a hazard in your property, please notify your landlord of the issues so that they can undertake repairs and if it is unresolved and you wish to report it, please use our Report a Housing Hazard Form

HHSRS definition of hazards (Shelter)
Worcestershire Regulatory Services - 01905 822799

Reporting suspected unlicensed HMOs

Please use our report a suspected unlicensed HMO form to report a suspected HMO to Worcester City Council for investigation.

Report an unlicensed House in Multiple Occupation

In this section we outline some basic rights and responsibilities you have as a tenant. Before exploring some more specific examples. It is important to note that this is not an exhaustive list, and you should seek advise if you are unsure about your situation.

As a tenant your landlord or letting agency must provide you with the right to:

live in a property that is safe and in a good state of repair
have your deposit returned when the tenancy ends - and in some circumstances have your deposit protected
challenge excessively high charges
know who your landlord is
live in the property undisturbed
see an Energy Performance Certificate, gas safety certificate and electrical safety certificate for the property
be protected from unfair eviction and unfair rent
have a written agreement if you have a fixed-term tenancy of more than 3 years
- If you have a tenancy agreement, it should be fair and comply with the law.

As a Tenant you also have some responsibilities to you landlord or letting agent and the property you are staying in:

You should give your landlord access to the property to inspect it or carry out repairs. Your landlord has to give you at least 24 hours’ notice and visit at a reasonable time of day, unless it’s an emergency and they need immediate access.
take good care of the property, for example turn off the water at the mains if you are away in cold weather
pay the agreed rent, even if repairs are needed or you are in dispute with your landlord
pay other charges as agreed with the landlord, for example Council Tax or utility bills
repair or pay for any damage caused by you, your family, or friends
only sublet a property if the tenancy agreement or your landlord allows it

Your landlord has the right to take legal action to evict you if you do not meet your responsibilities.

Both Citizens Advice and the GOV.UK websites have more detailed examples to help you understand your rights and responsibilities.

The Government have also produced the how to rent guide providing a checklist and more detailed information on each step of the renting process.

I can no longer afford the rent

If you have moved into a rented property and you are finding that your rent is unmanageable then you can check to see if you are entitled to any Housing Benefit to cover your rent. You can check whether you should be entitled to this by using the Housing Benefit calculator or by contacting Worcester City Council Customer Service Centre to discuss applying for Housing Benefit.

You may also wish to see if you are receiving all the benefits that you are entitled to. You can find this out by visiting the GOV.UK website. You may require some advice on debt which you can receive by contacting the National Debt Line or Citizen Advice. The Housing Advice Team are also able to help with housing advice and preventing you from losing your tenancy. Please call if you require assistance.

I have rats, fleas, or other pests at my property

If you have rats, fleas, or other pests at your property you should inform your landlord. Your landlord does not have a responsibility to pay for pest control services but will need to be made aware of the problem. For further information please visit Worcestershire Regulatory Services website.

Landlord Harassment and Illegal Eviction

If you feel you are being harassed by your landlord or believe you face an illegal eviction then please read the advice produced by Shelter on Landlord Harassment and Illegal Eviction , if you would like to discuss your case following this then please contact the Housing Advice Team.

Relationship breakdowns

If you are currently going through a relationship breakdown, then it is important that you understand your housing rights. If your name is on the tenancy agreement then you will have the right to remain at the property, however if your name is not on the tenancy agreement then you should seek housing advice before taking further decisions. Please do not leave the accommodation without receiving advice about your rights to the property. Please check the Shelter’s guides around relationship breakdown which will provide you with more detail about your rights to a property. If you require legal advice, please contact Citizen Advice.

Domestic Abuse & Harassment

If you are experiencing domestic abuse from your partner, then please visit our dedicated Domestic Abuse & Harassment page.

House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)

If you live in a property with spaces shared by more than one household group, you may live in a House of Multiple Occupation (HMO). These types of property have some different rules around them. If you would like more information on HMOs then please visit the House in Multiple Occupation Page.

Other Information

Service to Civvy Street

Members of the armed forces, ex-service personnel and their families can face unique housing challenges. The 'Service to Civvy Street' is a booklet to help ex-Service personnel and their families navigate healthcare, employment, housing, education and other support available in Worcestershire.

It has been produced by Worcestershire County Council in partnership with public and voluntary sector partners and was funded by the MOD's Community Covenant Grant Scheme.

If you have served in the Armed Forces or are the partner, spouse or family member of someone who has served in the Armed Forces then this booklet is for you.

Worcester City Council Housing Services

Our Housing Services offer advice about a wide range of housing options and services that may be of interest.

What to do

The Housing Advice Team provide high quality, customer-focused service to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless to empower them to make informed choices about their housing options.

We believe that homelessness can be prevented in the majority, if not all, cases. There is a range of ways in which we can do this, and there are different housing options available to you in the City.

The most important thing is don't leave it too late!

The sooner you act, the better chances you have of keeping your home or getting the help and support that need for your situation.

If you need help, please let us know by registering for an account through our customer portal. This will enable our staff to access and deal with your application and provide you with help quickly. This portal will also allow you to upload any supporting documents to your application easily via smartphone or tablet.

If you need help registering for an account and submitting an application, step by step instructions can be found here.

You will need an email Step by step instructions for setting up an email address can be found here

If you still have problems accessing this online service, you can contact us on 01905 722589. Officers are available Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Alternatively come to the Trinity Street Housing Advice Centre, Trinity Street, Worcester WR1 2PW which is open Monday-Friday 10am-4pm and an appointment will be made to help you.

In an emergency outside of working hours, call 01527 910696.

The customer portal is an online account where you will be able to manage your application. You will have the ability to:

View the status of your application
View any letters that have been sent to you
Communicate with your housing officer
Monitor your Personal Housing Plan
Upload documents using a computer or smartphone.

The homelessness process takes time and will go through the following steps. You can assist us by providing the following information at the various stages.

Step 1: Showing us you are eligible and homeless

When you call us, you will need to be able to prove that you are eligible for help (generally speaking, as a UK citizen or EU worker you are eligible) and are actually homeless. That may include providing a section 21 notice or a letter confirming your circumstances. If you do not have a connection to Worcester City Council, we may refer your application to another authority at some stage during the application. Find your local council here.

Step 2: Getting an assessment and creating your Personal Housing Plan

Once we have confirmed your eligibility and circumstances, you will have an appointment with a Housing Solutions Officer for a housing assessment. You will need to allow 1-2 hours for this appointment. Together, you will create your Personal Housing Plan, which is a set of actions that you and the Council will take to resolve your housing situation. The actions are tailored to meet your individual needs and circumstances.

Step 3: Working on your plan

Over the following few weeks, you will be responsible for updating your plan and taking the necessary actions. You will need to make sure you complete the ‘reasonable steps’ agreed in your plan. Your plan is reviewed regularly, and actions may be amended as your case progresses.

If you have registered for a customer portal, you can manage your plan online through your account.

Step 4:

We will try to prevent your homelessness wherever possible if you come to us for help early enough. However, if we are unable to do this or if you are already homeless we will continue to assist you until one of the following occurs:

You accept suitable accommodation that is available to you for at least 6 months
You refuse suitable accommodation
56 days expires

If you have not successfully found suitable accommodation after a period of 56 days, we will then decide about whether we owe you the “Main Housing Duty”. For this, you need to be able to prove you pass five tests.

Eligibility: This means you have the legal right to access public funds and to work in the UK. More detail on the legal definition of ‘Eligibility’.
Homeless: This means you don’t have a home, anywhere else in the world, where it would be reasonable for you to live. More detail on the legal definition of ‘Homeless’.
Priority Need: This could mean because of vulnerability, such as a health condition, or previously being a member of the armed forces, it is harder for you to find accommodation than someone else. It could mean because you have young children, you have a priority. It could mean, because you have lost your previous home through a disaster, such as a fire or a flood, then the council needs to provide you with housing. More detail on the legal definition of ‘Priority Need’.
Not Intentionally Homeless: If you have previously lost accommodation because of something you haven’t done (eg paying your rent), or because of something you have done (eg ASB), then the council may find you intentionally homeless. If we do, we don’t have to provide you with housing. More detail on the legal definition of ‘Intentionally Homeless’.
Local Connection: You need to prove that you have a local connection to Worcester City, such as living here for the last six months, or for three years out of the last five. More detail on the legal definition of ‘Local Connection’.

Are you a public body or external agency wishing to make a referral?

Contact Us

If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, please register online to submit a self-referral.

Phone: 01905 722589
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
In-person: Trinity Street Housing Advice Centre, Trinity Street Worcester, WR1 2PW.

Housing Staff are available to assist you at the advice centre from Monday- Friday 10am-4pm. They will be able to help you complete a self-referral.

*Please note the Housing & Welfare Options Team is not a drop-in service. You must submit an application using the link above and you will be contacted to make an appointment within 1 working day depending on the urgency of your situation. Appointments are Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm.

By Post: The Guildhall High Street Worcester WR1 2EY.

Out of hours: If you need assistance outside our working hours, you can get assistance information on 01527 910696 if your call is an emergency.

Website: www.worcester.gov.uk/housing