Single parent housing rights: what you need to know

A single parent renting privately or in social housing holds the same legal rights as any other tenant. Sometimes extra priority for housing help sits on top. Here are the key rights.

Do I have the same rights as other tenants?

Yes. Being a single parent changes none of your tenant rights. The landlord owes the same repairs, the same deposit protection, the same lawful eviction process, whatever your family looks like.

Treating you worse for having children is not allowed. The Equality Act 2010 protects you from sex discrimination in housing. Family status is not a protected characteristic in itself. But unfairness aimed at people with children can amount to indirect sex discrimination, where the policy hits women hardest.

Will I get priority on the housing register?

Single parents often carry priority on the council housing register, above all where:

• The home is overcrowded for the people in it
• The children live with unsafe conditions: damp, cold, structural problems
• A medical need ties to the current housing

Each council sets its own rules for who gets a home first. A single parent with children in need generally counts toward priority. How much varies council to council.

What if I am facing eviction as a single parent?

Dependent children plus threatened homelessness almost certainly puts you in priority need for council help. That means a stronger duty to give you a temporary home while your application is assessed.

Contact the council the moment any eviction notice lands. Never wait until you have left, or been evicted, to ask for help.

Can a landlord refuse to rent to me because I have children?

Private landlords in England cannot turn you away for having children. Under the Equality Act 2010 that is likely indirect sex discrimination. Why? Single parents are mostly women.

"No DSS" rules, refusing renters on benefits, have been fought in the courts too. Several cases found them unlawful indirect sex discrimination. A single parent on benefits, turned away for the benefits alone? That may be worth fighting.

What if my home has damp or mould and I have children?

Children suffer most from damp and mould. The spores can worsen asthma and coughs that will not shift. Damp or mould the landlord has failed to fix means:

1. Report it in writing at once
2. See your doctor and ask them to note the home's condition beside your child's health
3. Contact the council's environmental health team
4. Get legal advice on whether a disrepair claim stands

Your children's health shapes how urgent enforcement is, and any compensation in a claim.

What if my landlord tries to evict me because of my children?

Eviction for having children is not lawful. Only the proper process is. Feel targeted over your children? Get legal advice. And since the Renters' Rights Act 2025 abolished Section 21 no-fault evictions, a landlord needs a specific legal ground. Complaining about disrepair is not one. An eviction notice landing soon after a disrepair complaint calls for advice at once. The timing itself may help your case.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

We help tenants with housing disrepair claims. Damp, mould, or other disrepair touching you and your children may mean 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

• Equality Act 2010 (legislation.gov.uk)
• Housing Act 1996, Part 7 (homelessness) (legislation.gov.uk)

Related articles

• Homelessness application, what happens next
• Free housing legal advice in England