Joint Tenancies and Domestic Abuse

Joint Tenancies and Domestic Abuse

Domestic abuse is one of the leading causes of homelessness in the UK, and housing responses play a critical role in survivor safety, recovery and long-term stability. As the national accreditation body for domestic abuse practice in housing, DAHA welcomes the increased attention being given to the significant challenges created by joint tenancies in domestic abuse cases. 

As we approach the winter and festive period - a time that can intensify risk for many - DAHA also recognises that not all survivors will be in safe or stable housing. For those facing homelessness, unsafe joint tenancies, or ongoing coercive control, this season can deepen isolation and vulnerability.  

We stand with survivors from all communities, including those experiencing intersecting disadvantages, and reaffirm our commitment to advocating for safer housing pathways at a time of year when protection and stability are needed most. 

Across our accredited and engaged members, joint tenancy complications are consistently identified as one of the most common and most harmful barriers faced by survivors seeking safety. The current legal framework frequently exposes survivors to ongoing economic abuse, coercive control, housing insecurity, and prolonged trauma - even after separation. 

While DAHA will await the forthcoming announcements in the House of Commons, we strongly support the principle of reform that: 

• centres survivor autonomy and choice 

• enhances safety within the home 

• removes structural barriers that prevent survivors from remaining safely in their property 

• reduces the risk of homelessness 

• minimises perpetrator control through legal mechanisms 

• ensures housing providers can act swiftly and lawfully in response to risk 

• brings clarity and consistency to a currently fragmented system 

We recognise that across the sector, survivors continue to face the following issues under the existing joint tenancy framework: 

• Perpetrators retaining control of the tenancy, enabling ongoing abuse and restricting the survivor’s ability to move, claim benefits, or stabilise finances 

• Inability to change locks without joint consent, even where risk of serious harm is present 

• Difficulty transferring a joint tenancy into the survivor’s sole name due to perpetrator refusal 

• Survivors being classed as “intentionally homeless” if they end a tenancy for safety reasons 

• Providers’ reluctance to grant sole tenancies due to legal uncertainty or potential challenge 

• Delays in accessing Universal Credit due to unresolved joint liability 

• Sanctuary measures being undermined by the perpetrator’s retained access 

These issues place survivors at risk of repeat victimisation, homelessness, and long-term economic harm. 

DAHA supports proportionate, evidence-based legislative and policy reform that provides: 

• Clear, accessible mechanisms for removing perpetrators from joint tenancies 

• Legal protection for providers who act in good faith to safeguard survivors 

• Survivor-led pathways to remain in their home or relocate, without punitive consequences 

• Consistent rights across housing sectors, including social, private and supported housing 

• Improved coordination across justice, housing and welfare systems 

• Prevention of homelessness resulting from tenancy complications 

• Stronger economic safety and financial independence for survivors 

• Recognition of domestic abuse as grounds for tenancy transfer where safe and appropriate 

We also reaffirm that any reforms must: 

• avoid placing additional administrative burden on survivors 

• respect the diversity of survivor experiences, including those facing intersectional disadvantage 

• be accompanied by sector training, guidance and implementation resources 

• ensure perpetrator accountability without compromising survivor safety 

The challenges survivors face under joint tenancies are reinforced by evidence from local authorities and housing providers supporting the development of Managed Reciprocal Schemes, which offer safe, cross-boundary relocation while retaining secure tenancies. Managed reciprocals can prevent homelessness and reduce the trauma of displacement, and recent sector proposals highlight strong appetite for a national framework to ensure consistent access regardless of regional provision.  
 
DAHA recognises that national consistency in enabling safe tenancy moves aligns with our wider aims of survivor safety, choice and housing stability. 

As the national domestic abuse accreditation body for housing, DAHA stands ready to support the sector in interpreting, implementing and embedding any future changes within a coordinated community response. 

We will continue to work closely with government, sector partners and our accredited providers to ensure that survivor safety, choice and housing security remain at the centre of all tenancy reform discussions.