Housing law is tangled. The wrong advice at the wrong moment, or none at all, costs dearly. The good news: several places give tenants in England free legal
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Housing law is tangled. The wrong advice at the wrong moment, or none at all, costs dearly. The good news: several places give tenants in England free legal advice. Here they are.
Citizens Advice
Citizens Advice runs offices in most towns and cities. It gives free, independent advice on housing, including:
- Eviction, threatened or under way
- Disrepair and repair rows
- Homelessness
- Benefits that touch housing costs
- Tenancy deposits
Reach them online, by phone (0800 144 8848), or at a local office. How much help they can give varies by place.
Shelter
Shelter is a housing charity. It gives free advice, support and legal help to people in housing trouble. Its services:
- Online advice pages: detailed guidance on most housing topics
- The helpline: 0808 800 4444, free, seven days a week
- Local services: some areas have offices with face-to-face advice and representation
Shelter also runs a national network of housing lawyers who take cases to court where that is right.
Legal aid
Legal aid is advice and representation paid for by the state, for people who pass the means test. For housing it covers:
- Eviction, where possession proceedings loom
- Homelessness applications and appeals
- Some disrepair cases tied to serious health risk
It is means-tested: low income, small savings. Not every solicitor offers it. The firm needs a legal aid contract; find one at solicitors.civillegalaids.gov.uk or through the Law Society site.
Law centres
Law centres give free advice and representation, mostly to people who cannot pay for a solicitor. Qualified solicitors and advisers staff them. They handle eviction, disrepair, homelessness and discrimination.
Find one at lawcentres.org.uk.
No-win, no-fee solicitors for housing disrepair
For disrepair claims, many solicitors work no-win, no-fee: nothing up front, with fees claimed back from the landlord on a win. This is how the panel solicitors we refer cases to work.
No-win, no-fee does not cover every housing matter. It is most common where a claim carries a real prospect of compensation.
Local authority housing advisers
Some councils run housing advice teams for general guidance and pointing you onward. Quality and reach vary a lot.
When should I contact Support for Tenants?
Home in disrepair, landlord not fixing it? Call us for a free first conversation about whether you have a claim.
Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.
Sources
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, not a promise; every case is different.
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Still stuck?
Call us free or start a claim online. We'll tell you honestly whether you have a case worth pursuing.