Housing and rent
Housing is very difficult to find in Slough. Rents are high and there are many people looking for somewhere to live. The council may not be able to find you somewhere to live, so it is important that you start looking for your own accommodation. You may have to look outside of Slough and further away from London to find somewhere you can afford and that is available.
In the short term, staying with friends or family may be your best option. Remember, you can always move again once you are settled and have more money and time to find somewhere to live long-term.
If you have a medical condition, are pregnant, or have children under 18 and are at risk of homelessness, please notify Slough Borough Council as soon as possible. The council can offer you advice and support. You can:
- telephone Customer Services on 01753 475111, Monday to Friday
- register for advice/homelessness online on Jigsaw
For general advice, visit Slough Homelessness webpages.
What type of housing?
Social housing is cheaper because it is owned by housing associations and the local council. It is extremely unlikely that you will be offered a council home. There is a nationwide shortage of social housing, and in Slough there are almost 3,000 households on the waiting list. To join the waiting list, you must have lived in Slough for five years. It can take years to be allocated social housing, and it will not be an option for your first home after leaving asylum accommodation.
Private rented accommodation is when a landlord who owns a property rents it to you, and you pay your rent directly to the landlord. This is the most likely housing choice for you. This can be a room in a shared house (your own bedroom and share the kitchen and bathroom with others) or a flat or house.
Paying rent
Wherever you live you will have to pay rent and bills. Whilst you are not working the job centre can help you to pay the rent. Bills such as electricity, gas and council tax would need to be paid out of your Universal Credit. If you are single and under 35 with no children, the amount of housing money you will get from Universal Credit will be the ‘shared accommodation rate’. This means you will most likely only have the budget for a room in a shared house/flat. If you are single and over 35 you would be entitled to the 1 bedroom rate. The amount you receive is based on the Local Housing Allowance.