Domestic abuse: accommodation advice

If concerned about someone seeing you on these pages you can click on the leave this page quickly link which will take you to the council tax pages.

If you urgently need to leave your home and go to a place of safety, telephone the National Domestic Violence Helpline on 0808 2000 247. This service is free and is open 24 hours a day.

If you need general advice about accommodation, telephone the council's housing advice service on 020 8825 8888, 9am to 4pm Monday to Friday. You can also email houseadv@ealing.gov.uk.

For emergency out-of-hours housing assistance from the council, telephone (020) 8825 5000.

leave this page quickly

Leaving your home

If you think you need to leave your home, try to get advice from Ealing Council’s housing solutions team. Do not place yourself at risk.  If you are in danger, calling the police emergency number 999 should be your first action. 

You can attend Ealing Council’s housing solutions service in person, on Monday to Friday between 9am and 4pm.  If you are in an emergency situation, you will be given advice and support on the day.

Not everyone who has to leave home due to violence is entitled to emergency accommodation.

If you are an Ealing Council tenant, you should contact your housing officer to discuss the matter in confidence.

If you are in temporary accommodation provided by Ealing Council, you should contact your temporary accommodation provider or the council’s temporary accommodation compliance team. Please call 020 8825 8866 to be put through to them.

If you are a housing association tenant, please contact your housing manager at the association.

If you do need to leave your home, it might be that you could stay with friends or relatives while you think about what to do next. If you are a woman leaving domestic abuse, you can try and find a place in a women's refuge.

One of the organisations in the what help can I access may be able to help you with this.

Try to take essentials like a change of clothes, toiletries and any medication you need to take regularly with you. You should also try to take important items such as your passport, bank and credit cards and your mobile phone.

Do not make a decision to give up your home permanently until you have spoken to an adviser and considered all your options.

Use Shelter's directory to find out about women's refudes or Citizens Advice in your area.

leave this page quickly

Remaining in your home

If you do not want to leave your home, there are options available to minimise the risk to you.

These include applying for non-molestation and occupation orders.

The council can also sometimes offer help through our sanctuary scheme, which reduces risks by carrying out safety works in your home like fitting a sanctuary door, changing locks, securing windows and installing fire proof letter boxes. Your independent domestic violence advocate (IDVA) or your tenancy management officer or other housing officer can advise you about whether this scheme could work for you and make a referral.  

leave this page quickly

Get homelessness help from the council

You can apply to Ealing Council housing solutions as a homeless person if you can't stay in your home. We will have a duty to assess the circumstances of your homelessness, identify what your housing and support needs are, and to work with you to try to prevent your homelessness or support you to find somewhere to live.

We will provide you with a personal housing plan which will tell you what we can do to help you and what you can do to help yourself. This might include actions such as engaging with organisations that can assist people experiencing domestic abuse.

Some people are entitled to emergency accommodation while we assess whether we have a duty to find them somewhere more settled to live. You will be asked to provide details of your situation.

You may be asked for supporting evidence, which could include details and dates of incidents. In most cases where people are entitled to emergency accommodation, we will initially try to help you find refuge accommodation as this provides you with a place of safety, security and support.

The best way to get advice is to call 020 8825 6444 to speak to a duty officer.

We will either give you advice on the day you speak to us, or after making an initial assessment of your circumstances, will make an appointment for you to speak to an advisor at a later date.

leave this page quickly