Housing Options Guide 6b
6b. Temporary accommodation
There is currently not enough affordable housing to meet the demand for those people experiencing homelessness. We use temporary accommodation to house homeless applicants until permanent housing can be found.
You may be entitled to temporary accommodation:
- When you have made a homeless application with us, and we need some time to assess your situation before we make our homelessness decision.
- To give you time to find somewhere else to live, in situations where we have found that we do not have a duty to find you permanent accommodation
- If you have asked for a review of your homelessness decision. You will be able to stay in the temporary accommodation until the outcome of the review
- While you wait for a suitable home to become available, in situations where we have found that you are entitled to a permanent offer of housing
There are different types of temporary accommodation including hostel accommodation with a support service provided. There are also self-contained flats and houses, some adapted properties and refuge accommodation. We can arrange temporary accommodation until a decision is reached on a homeless application.
Location of temporary accommodation
We have a range of temporary accommodation throughout Moray. We are continually changing our stock of temporary accommodation to make sure that we can offer various types and sizes of homes to suit the needs of our homeless households. The size and type of accommodation we offer you will depend on your circumstances and what we have available at the time.
We aim to always have temporary accommodation stock in the main areas of Elgin, Lossiemouth, Keith, Buckie and Forres. This means there should be temporary accommodation available in the areas where people want to live, although this is not always possible given the pressures on our stock. We will make every effort to place you in temporary accommodation which is accessible for your work, school and family.
Cost of temporary accommodation
You will be expected to pay the temporary accommodation charge, council tax and utility bills. If you are unemployed or on a low income you may be entitled to Housing Benefit. If Housing Benefit does not cover all of the temporary accommodation charge and your other costs, you are responsible for paying the difference. This could also include any charges for the storage of your furniture or belongings.
Before you move in to your temporary accommodation, we will tell you the amount of the temporary accommodation charge for the property.
The temporary accommodation charge is set by calculating a rent and a homeless service charge.
- the weekly rent is equal to the average council house weekly rent, based on the size of the property; and
- the homeless service charge is equal to the cost of providing temporary accommodation to homeless households. This is reviewed each year in line with the Council’s Charging for Services Policy.
What is the temporary accommodation charge for 2024-25?
The following table shows how we work out the temporary accommodation charge, by the size of the property.
| Size of property | Average mainstream rent per week | Homeless service charge per week | Temporary accommodation charge per week |
| 1 bedroom | £70.61 | £189.25 | £259.86 |
| 2 bedroom | £79.41 | £189.25 | £268.65 |
| 3 bedroom | £95.90 | £189.25 | £286.94 |
We charge every household the same temporary accommodation charge, based on the size of the property. However, we will only seek to recover costs that we can reasonably be expected to collect. This takes into account your ability to pay.
Generally, if you are a tenant in temporary accommodation and:
- you are entitled to full Housing Benefit, we will recover all of the temporary accommodation charge. In most cases, the amount of Housing Benefit you get will be the same as the rent charged.
- you get partial Housing Benefit, we will only recover a reasonable charge. We consider a reasonable amount to be the average Council house rent, for the size of the property, plus 25% towards the homeless service charge. If the amount of Housing Benefit that you get is more than this amount, then we will recover all of the Housing Benefit you get. If the amount of Housing Benefit you get is less than this amount, you will have to pay the difference.
- you are working/are not entitled to any benefit, we will only recover a reasonable charge. We consider a reasonable amount to be the average Council house rent, for the size of the property, plus 25% towards the homeless service charge.
The following table shows how we work out what is a reasonable amount to recover, by the size of the property:
| Size of property | Average mainstream rent per week | 25% of homeless service charge per week | Amount we will seek to recover per week |
| 1 bedroom | £70.61 | £47.32 | £117.93 |
| 2 bedroom | £79.41 | £47.32 | £126.73 |
| 3 bedroom | £95.90 | £47.32 | £143.22 |
You will find more information in our Temporary Accommodation Charging Policy Leaflet and in our Temporary Accommodation Charging Policy or the easy read version of the Policy.
Pets and other animals
Although we will consider the needs of the household with regards to any pets or other animals they may own, we have no legal duty towards pets.
It may not be possible to keep pets or other animals in temporary accommodation. This is because certain types of accommodation, such as hostels, may be used to support people with particular needs, and have shared facilities, which make them unsuitable for keeping pets.
Like other authorities, we regularly review our temporary accommodation stock to include a range of accommodation types. We try to offer accommodation that is suitable for pets or other animals providing that the number and type of pets are proportionate and reasonable.
If you are homeless and are unable to take your pets into certain types of temporary accommodation, you should ask your homeless officer about what other assistance we may be able to offer. We may be able to home your pets for the temporary period that you will be with us. Alternatively, you may decide to get friends or family to look after them for you. You can find more information on the Shelter Scotland website.
Permanent accommodation
If we have a duty to find you permanent accommodation, we may offer you one of our properties, or we may refer you to a housing association for one of their properties.
It may not always be possible to house you in the area of your choice. We will make two reasonable offers of permanent accommodation. If you refuse both offers we might ask you to leave the temporary accommodation as we have fulfilled our duty to you. You will then be expected to find your own accommodation.
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness you should contact our housing options team in the first instance.
Phone: 0300 1234 566 (Monday to Friday 8.45am-5pm)
Emergency Out of Hours: 03457 565656
Email: housing.options@moray.gov.uk