Housing
This page gives general information about finding somewhere to live in the United Kingdom and the services you can expect at your accommodation.
See the Home and Community section of the Directgov website for information on:
- buying, selling and renting a home;
- social housing;
- your neighbourhood, roads and streets;
- your local council and the council tax you must pay for the services it provides;
- evictions and homelessness; and
- support and safety in your home.
Your home will:
- have a clean water supply, which is safe to drink from the tap. You have to pay for this water and you will receive a bill from the company that supplies it. When you move into your new home, you will get a letter from the company telling you how to pay this. The letter is sometimes addressed to "The occupier", which is you;
- have electricity, and most have a gas supply. The supplies are metered and you pay for what you use. If you do not pay, your supply will be cut off. You can choose the company that supplies your electricity or gas, and different companies charge different rates. There is more information about this on the Ofgem website;
- usually have a phone line. If it does not, you should contact British Telecom or another phone company to have a line connected. There is about this on the Ofcom website;
- usually have regular collections of rubbish, a service provided by your local council, which can give you details of these collections and any rules it applies to them. It is illegal to dump rubbish.
To watch television you will need a television set and you may need an aerial. There is more information about television reception on the Ofcom website. You must also have a television licence, which can be bought at a local Paypoint outlet or online from the TV Licensing website. If you watch television at home without a licence, you will have to pay a fine.