If you have nowhere to sleep tonight, you need to know what help is available right now. Here is where to go, who to call, and what you can expect when you
On this page
- Key facts
- Call your local council's housing emergency line
- What is "priority need"?
- If the council says it cannot help immediately
- What about rough sleeping?
- What if you have been evicted illegally?
- What happens the next day?
- Temporary accommodation is not the final answer
- When should I contact Support for Tenants?
- Sources
- Related articles
If you have nowhere to sleep tonight, you need to know what help is available right now. Here is where to go, who to call, and what you can expect when you approach the council as an emergency homelessness case.
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
Call your local council's housing emergency line
Every local council in England must provide an emergency homelessness service that operates outside normal office hours. If you are homeless tonight:
- Call your local council's main switchboard and ask for the out-of-hours housing emergency number.
- Tell them you are homeless tonight and need emergency accommodation.
- If you have children with you, say so immediately, this is a priority.
You must contact the council for the area where you are currently staying, or where you have a local connection (where you have lived for the last 6 months, or where you have family).
What is "priority need"?
The council's duty to provide emergency accommodation on the night depends partly on whether you have "priority need". Groups with priority need include:
- Households with dependent children living with them
- Pregnant women
- People who are vulnerable due to disability, mental illness, old age, or having been in care, prison, or the armed forces
- People made homeless by fire, flood, or other emergency
If you are in priority need and have nowhere to sleep tonight, the council must provide you with emergency temporary accommodation while it carries out a proper assessment.
If you are not in priority need, the council still has a duty to provide advice and assistance, and to try to prevent you becoming homeless. It cannot simply turn you away without helping.
If the council says it cannot help immediately
If the out-of-hours service says it cannot provide accommodation:
- Ask for their decision in writing and the reason for it
- Ask whether there is an emergency shelter or night shelter you can be referred to
- Contact Shelter's emergency helpline (0808 800 4444, available 24/7 during busy periods, check their website for current hours)
- Contact your local night shelter or day centre if you know of one
What about rough sleeping?
If you or someone you know is sleeping rough, contact StreetLink (0300 500 0914 or streetlink.org.uk). StreetLink connects rough sleepers to local outreach services. You can also be referred by someone else if you are not willing or able to make contact yourself.
What if you have been evicted illegally?
If you have been locked out of your home illegally, without a court order, this is an illegal eviction and you are entitled to go back in. Contact the council's tenancy relations officer and the police (illegal eviction is a criminal offence). Do not treat yourself as homeless if you have been illegally evicted, seek urgent legal help to get back into your home first.
What happens the next day?
If the council provides emergency accommodation overnight, they will arrange a full homelessness assessment the following day or as soon as possible. You will need to explain:
- Why you became homeless or are threatened with homelessness
- Whether you have priority need
- Your connection to the local area
- Your immigration status
Bring any documents you have, ID, tenancy agreements, letters from a previous landlord, but do not delay contacting the council just because you do not have documents.
Temporary accommodation is not the final answer
Emergency temporary accommodation is just the start of the process. The council has duties that go beyond just providing somewhere to sleep tonight, depending on your circumstances, it may owe you a duty to help find settled housing. See the related article on making a full homeless application.
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
If you have become homeless or are at risk of homelessness because of housing disrepair, for example, your landlord has made your home uninhabitable, call us on 0800 030 4669.
No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
Related articles
- Priority need, how vulnerability is assessed
- Illegal eviction, what to do immediately
- Temporary accommodation, your rights
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 15 June 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 and not guaranteed; every case is different.
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Homeless or being evicted? What to do, step by step
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Temporary accommodation: your rights, in plain English
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Overcrowding: your rights and what you can do
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