Felon friendly housing UK – Let’s be honest – trying to find a place to live with a criminal record in the UK can feel soul-destroying. Private landlords ghost you, letting agents act like you’re radioactive, and half the advice online is out of date. But it is possible, and thousands of people do it every year.
This guide is written for 2024/2025 rules, no fluff, no false hope – just what actually works right now.
Table of Contents
The One Law That Protects You: Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974
This is your shield. Once your conviction is “spent”, you are legally allowed to treat it as if it never happened for most day-to-day things – including renting from private landlords.
Key point:
- Unspent conviction → you probably have to tell them if asked.
- Spent conviction → you do NOT have to disclose it, and they cannot refuse you just because of it.
A Basic DBS check (the one most landlords use) will not show spent convictions. That’s the law.
Quick 2024 Rehabilitation Periods Cheat Sheet
| Sentence | When it becomes spent (adults) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Prison ≤ 6 months | 2 years after sentence ends | Longer for serious/sexual offences |
| Prison 6–30 months | 4 years after sentence ends | |
| Prison 30–48 months | 7 years after sentence ends | |
| Prison over 4 years (pre-2014 rules) | Never spent | Newer sentences can be spent |
| Fine | 1 year from conviction | |
| Community order | 1 year after order ends |
Your Realistic 5-Step Plan (That Actually Works)
Step 1 – Get Your Ducks in a Row (7-Day Sprint) Do this before you even message a single landlord:
- ID & Right to Rent ready (passport, driving licence, BRP)
- Proof you can afford the rent (payslips, bank statements, Universal Credit letter)
- 2–3 solid references (employer, old landlord, probation officer, drug worker – whoever knows you’re sound now)
- Fresh Basic DBS certificate (£23 online – takes about a week)
- Short “rehabilitation statement” (template lower down)
- One-page “Tenant CV” – basically a grown-up way of saying “I’m reliable now”
Step 2 – Search Smarter, Not Harder Rightmove and Zoopla are brutal if you’ve got any kind of blip. Instead:
Search terms that actually bring results:
- “second chance landlord [your city]”
- “DSS accepted no deposit”
- “ex-offender friendly landlord [area]”
- “probation approved accommodation [town]”
Contact these people FIRST (seriously, do it today):
- Your probation officer – they have a secret list of landlords who accept ex-offenders
- NACRO housing line: 0300 123 1889
- Shelter local office (find yours at shelter.org.uk)
- Your council’s Housing Options team – they HAVE to give you advice even if you’re not homeless yet
Step 3 – The Script That Gets Viewings Message to private landlords (copy & tweak):
“Hi [Name], I’m interested in your property on [street]. I work full-time as [job] / receive [benefits], have excellent references and can pay by standing order on the 1st of every month. Happy to send over a full tenant pack (references, Basic DBS, etc.) before a viewing if that helps. Thanks, [Your name] – 07xxx xxxxxx”
Step 4 – At the Viewing: When & How to Mention It If your convictions are spent (most private landlords only do Basic DBS):
“For transparency, I had some trouble a few years ago but everything is now spent under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act, so it doesn’t show on the check you’ll do. I’ve got strong references from my employer and probation if you’d like to see them.”
If they’re still unspent, be upfront but brief and focus on change.
Step 5 – If They Say No Ask (politely) for the reason in writing. If it’s purely because of a spent conviction → that’s illegal discrimination. Ring Shelter’s emergency line 0808 800 4444 the same day.
All Your Real Housing Options (No Sugar-Coating)
| Option | Best for | Reality check | Pro tip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private landlord (not agency) | You have income & preferably spent convictions | Hard but doable | Facebook groups & Gumtree > agencies |
| Supported/ex-offender housing | Just out, need structure | Curfews & rules | Ask probation – quickest route |
| Social housing | Long-term stability | Waiting lists 3–10 years | Get on the list NOW anyway |
| House/share room | Low budget | Housemates can veto | Be upfront on SpareRoom profile |
| Council temporary | Nowhere to go tonight | Hostels/B&Bs, temporary only | Turn up at council 9am if in crisis |
Money Help You Can Get Tomorrow
- Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) – council top-up
- Local welfare assistance – grants for deposit/first month
- Universal Credit advance (up to 100% of first payment, repaid later)
- Buttle UK small grants if you have kids
→ Run the Turn2us benefits calculator today – takes 10 minutes.
Essential Contacts (Save These Numbers)
- Shelter emergency housing advice: 0808 800 4444
- NACRO (ex-offender specialists): 0300 123 1889
- Unlock (criminal record experts): unlock.org.uk helpline
- Samaritans (when it all feels too much): 116 123 (free, 24/7)
Q&A
Can a landlord refuse you for a spent conviction?
No. Under the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974, once a conviction is legally “spent,” you generally do not have to disclose it to a private landlord, and they cannot refuse your tenancy based solely on that spent conviction.
Do you have to tell your landlord about a criminal record?
You must disclose unspent convictions if asked, but you have no legal obligation to tell a landlord about convictions that are spent under UK law.
How long does a criminal record last for housing?
It depends on the sentence. For example, convictions become spent after 2 years for a prison sentence under 6 months, and after 7 years for a sentence of 30-48 months. You can link this to the Rehabilitation Periods Cheat Sheet table in your article’s “Your Legal Rights” section.
Final Truth
You will get knocked back. A lot. That’s normal. But every single day people with worse records than yours move into flats because they kept going, used the right scripts, and leaned on the specialist organisations.
Start with two things today:
- Call NACRO or your probation officer.
- Get that Basic DBS ordered.
You’ve already done the hardest part – you’re still here and you’re trying. The rest is just admin and persistence.
You’ve got this.