Housing Advice and Domestic Abuse

The information below is for anyone suffering domestic abuse, who needs housing advice within Erewash.

What is domestic abuse?

Domestic abuse can happen to anyone. It is any incident or pattern of incidents, of controlling, coercive or threatening behaviour, violence or abuse between people aged 16 or over, who are or have been in a relationship or who are immediate family members. It doesn’t matter about the age, gender, race, ethnic or religious group, class, sexuality, disability or lifestyle of the individual. This can include but is not limited to the following types of behaviour:

• Psychological / mental abuse
• Physical abuse
• Sexual abuse
• Financial abuse
• Emotional abuse

It doesn’t not have to include physical abuse.

If you are in fear of a partner, ex-partner or member of your family, you might be experiencing domestic abuse. For example, do they:

• Call you names and make you feel bad about yourself
• Make you afraid by threatening you or your children
• Behave violently towards you, children or pets
• Stop you seeing your family or friends
• Keep money from you
• Harm you or make you feel like you could be seriously harmed

If you are affected by Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is a crime.

In an emergency for your personal safety, or the safety of someone else is being immediately threatened at the time, call the police on 999.

If something has happened, but there is no immediate danger, call the police on 101 (the non-emergency number) or use the ‘contact us’ section on

There are local organisations that can provide support and practical advice:

Derbyshire Domestic Abuse Services – free and confidential helpline on 08000 198 668, to advise men, women and their children who are or may be experiencing or escaping domestic abuse. 

You can also email them on: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or if you are hard of hearing or deaf you can text on: 07534 617252.

Crossroads website (external link) – (support and advice for men) or 0800 0198 668 

Visit Derbyshire LGBCT+ or call 01332 207 704 

Sail Derbyshire offers free, specialist counselling for adults aged 18 and over in Derbyshire who have experienced childhood sexual abuse, incest or sexual violence.

There are also national charities that can support you:

For people who are deaf or hard of hearing a text can be sent to 07557 800313.

Males can contact ManKind on 01823 334244 

If you are in a same sex relationship you can call Broken Rainbow and speak in confidence on 0800 999 5428/0300 999 5428

Housing Advice

There are a number of different options available to you in relation to housing.

If you want to stay in your current home:

If you feel that you want to stay in your home, you can get legal advice about obtaining an injunction. An injunction order is a court order that either

• Protects you or your child from being harmed or threatened by the person who's abused you (this is called a non-molestation order) or

• Decides who can live in the family home or enter the surrounding area - this is called an 'occupation order'

You could obtain an occupation order even if you do not own any interest in the property you have been living in, or you are not a tenant.

If your income is low, you could get 'legal aid' to help with the legal costs. The National Centre for Domestic Violence provide a free, fast emergency injunction service to survivors of domestic violence regardless of their financial circumstances, race, gender or sexual orientation. 

If you are frightened that your partner or ex-partner will break the terms of the injunction despite the risk of being arrested, you could get a number of extra security measures installed at your address. If you would like to explore this option, you can obtain further advice from the 'multi agency safeguarding hub' (MASH) by dialling 101. There are many options for the MASH, which may include putting you in touch with an Independent Domestic Violence Advocate (IDVA) to advise you.

If you need to move to a safe place:

Our Housing Options Service can help if you are living with domestic abuse.

We can help you prepare to leave and find a refuge, or we can help you secure your home so you can stay there safely.

We can advise on tenancy issues – including occupation orders, joint tenancies and homelessness – and can put you in touch with other support organisations (including those already mentioned) that provide advice and help. Alternatively you can…

Call the Freephone 24 hour National Domestic Violence Helpline, run by Refuge and Women’s Aid on 0808 2000 247, they can help you talk through your options. The helpline acts as the gateway to all services across the country and helps women find a space in a refuge.

If you don’t have any friends or relatives or other accommodation that you can stay in safely, there are specialist refuges all over the UK. Refuges are not just emergency accommodation – you will be supported to rebuild your life.

Applying as homeless

You can apply to a local housing authority as homeless. If you are an eligible person and can show that you have nowhere that you can safely remain in or return to, the council will work with you to help you find somewhere else to live.

If they consider you are in priority need, they will find you temporary accommodation in a safe area, in the meantime. You will be in priority need if you have children or are pregnant. You may also be in priority need if the domestic abuse you have suffered has made you particularly vulnerable. 

The council will work with you to develop a ‘Personalised Housing Plan’. This will outline the steps that both you and the council should take to find you more settled housing in a safe place.

This work will go on for a period of 56 days, or until you secure a new home. If they are unable to help you find a home during this ‘relief period’, and you are in priority need (and have co-operated with the council), they may then make you a direct offer of housing.

Deciding to leave your home immediately

If you have decided to leave home, take some essentials with you such as a change of clothes, toiletries and any medication you need to make regularly. Try to pack important items such as your passport, bank and credit card and mobile phone.

Do not make a decision to give up your home permanently until you have obtained advice about your rights from a solicitor, the Council’s Housing Advice Service, Citizens Advice Bureau or other advice agency.