About temporary accommodation

If you have nowhere to stay tonight, are eligible, and have priority need we may be able to place you in temporary accommodation. This is sometimes called emergency accommodation.

You should try to find your own accommodation. This could be temporary accommodation that you pay for yourself, or staying with family and friends. You can also look at other housing options such as privately renting, housing associations, or sheltered housing.

If temporary accommodation is provided by us, it is important to understand: 

• the average length of stay in temporary accommodation is currently around 2 and a half years
• there is a severe shortage of housing in Birmingham
• demand for housing is much higher than supply, especially for affordable self-contained accommodation

Type of temporary accommodation you may be offered

We use a range of accommodation types as temporary accommodation. Any offer of temporary accommodation depends on your circumstances and what is available at the time.

This means you:

• may have no cooking facilities
• may have to use shared bathroom or kitchen facilities
• may have no laundry facilities
• may be placed in accommodation outside of Birmingham
• are very likely to have to find other accommodation for any pets (Lets with Pets has advice on finding a tenancy that accepts pets but are unlikely to be able to help with temporary accommodation)
• may have costs to pay for travel, laundry and food

We cannot ensure that accommodation will be close to family, wider support networks or your children's schools.

We strongly recommend you find and secure your own accommodation, rather than us placing you in temporary accommodation. This is so you can choose the type of property and its location, rather than us making this decision for you.

Costs to you of temporary accommodation

You will be responsible for the cost of temporary accommodation, even if it is a hotel. You may also have extra costs for travel, laundry and food. 

Storage of belongings

You may also need to pay for storage of your belongings. If you cannot arrange this yourself, we can do it for you. If you cannot afford the cost at the time, we can help to arrange a payment plan.

We recommend you organise storage of belongings yourself, as this could work out cheaper for you in the long term.

Last updated: 20 May 2026