When the council decides on your homelessness application, they send a Section 184 letter. You have 21 days to ask for a Section 202 review.
On this page
In short
Ask the council for help as homeless, and they investigate. Then a written decision arrives. The letter is called a Section 184 decision, from the Housing Act 1996.
Did they decide no duty is owed? That you are intentionally homeless? That priority need misses you? You hold 21 days from the letter to ask for a review. It is called a Section 202 review. Many decisions get overturned on review. Is your home also in disrepair? Call us free on 0800 030 4669.
Key facts
- Government figures show 42,640 households in England were owed a relief duty after being assessed as homeless in October to December 2025. Statutory homelessness in England, GOV.UK
- A further 33,630 households were owed a prevention duty after being assessed as threatened with homelessness in the same quarter. Statutory homelessness in England, GOV.UK
What is in a Section 184 decision
The council must tell you, in writing, what it decided on all of these:
- Are you homeless or threatened with homelessness?
- Are you eligible for assistance (immigration status)?
- Did you become homeless intentionally?
- Are you in priority need (children, pregnancy, vulnerability)?
- Do you have a local connection to this council?
Each one is a separate decision. A no on any changes the duty owed. The letter must explain the reasoning. It must also tell you about your review right.
The most common adverse decisions
- Not in priority need. The council thinks you are a healthy adult without dependents. They think you can fend for yourself.
- Intentionally homeless. They say something you did, or failed to do, cost you your home. Arrears, anti-social behaviour, or leaving reasonable housing count.
- No local connection. They say you should apply elsewhere. Somewhere you lived recently, or hold family.
- Suitability of the offer. They offered a home and you call it unsuitable. Too far, too small, no adaptations.
Any of these can be challenged.
How to ask for a review
- Write to the council within 21 days of the Section 184 letter. Late requests sometimes get accepted, but only with good reason.
- Say which decision you want reviewed.
- Street homeless? Ask for temporary housing pending review. The council holds the power to provide it; see temporary accommodation, your rights.
- Ask for the council's housing file, the case notes they used. Data-protection law lets you request it.
Full reasons need not come straight away. Many councils let written points follow later. Usually 14 days. Often longer with a solicitor involved.
Getting evidence together
The review rests on what the council should have known when deciding. New evidence can join, where the reviewing officer agrees. Useful evidence:
- Medical letters confirming a condition that raises your risk
- Letters from a social worker, mental-health team, or domestic-abuse adviser
- Records proving no choice existed: the lease ended, the partner left, the landlord evicted you
- Wage slips, benefit letters, child-support arrangements
- Photos and reports of the home's condition, where disrepair forced you out
What happens after the review
The reviewing officer issues a Section 202 review decision, usually within 8 weeks. They can:
- Change the original decision in your favour
- Confirm it
- Send the case back to the first officer with new instructions
A review gone against you can go to the county court under Section 204, within 21 days. That usually needs a solicitor. Legal aid may cover it.
Where to get focused legal help
A Section 202 review does better with dedicated housing-solicitor help. So does a Section 204 county court appeal. We are not homelessness solicitors. The right places:
- Shelter, for free housing advice
- Citizens Advice in your area
- A law centre, where one sits near you
- A solicitor on the Legal Aid Agency housing panel
How we can help
Forced out of your last home by serious disrepair the landlord ignored? That can count against an "intentionally homeless" finding. A separate disrepair claim may stand too. Call us free on 0800 030 4669.
Free call: 0800 030 4669 | Start your claim
Sources
- Housing Act 1996, Part 7 (legislation.gov.uk)
- Landlord and Tenant Act 1985, Section 11 (legislation.gov.uk)
We review every guide at least twice a year and update it when the law changes. If you spot something out of date or wrong, email help@supportfortenants.co.uk.
Reviewed against current housing law for England and Wales as at 28 May 2026. Checked by our SRA-regulated panel solicitors. This is general information, not legal advice for your specific case. Any compensation figures or ranges shown are illustrative only, not a promise; every case is different.
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Still stuck?
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