Staying safe

Messages sent here are kept, so if something goes wrong there's a record. If someone pushes you to move to another app straight away, that's worth being careful about.

You shouldn't be asked for a deposit, a holding fee or an “admin fee” before you have viewed the accommodation and been offered a place in writing. Anyone asking for money by bank transfer to hold a room you haven't seen is a warning sign.

A verified badge means our team has manually checked documents the provider sent us to confirm who they are. It is not a regulatory registration, an inspection, or a judgement about the quality of care or support. Providers without a badge aren't necessarily worse — many simply haven't applied.

If you can, bring a support worker, family member or friend to a viewing, and tell someone where you're going and when you expect to be back.

Every advert and profile has a report link. Reports go to our team, and you can report anonymously to the provider concerned — they aren't told who flagged them.

This site can't help in an emergency. In the UK, call 999 if you're in immediate danger. If you're homeless tonight, contact your local council's housing options team, or Shelter's free helpline on 0808 800 4444.