Glossary
Temporary accommodation
Also called: TA
In one sentence
Housing a council arranges under homelessness law while it decides an application or until a settled home is offered.
Bed and breakfast is unsuitable for families with children and pregnant women except in an emergency, and then for no more than six weeks.
Related terms
Where it comes up
- Emergency accommodation, temporary accommodation and supported housingEmergency accommodation is a place to stay at short notice, often arranged by a council under its interim duty while it looks into a homeless application. Temporary accommodation is the wider term for housing councils arrange while they work out or carry out a longer duty. Neither is automatically supported housing. A placement only counts as exempt accommodation if the landlord type and support tests are met.
- The Renters' Rights Act and supported accommodationSince 1 May 2026, the Renters' Rights Act 2025 has turned private assured shorthold tenancies into periodic assured tenancies and removed section 21. That includes supported housing let on assured tenancies by landlords that are not registered providers. Licences are not covered. New grounds 5E and 5F let certain supported housing landlords seek possession on four weeks' notice.
- Prison leavers, CAS-3 and supported housingPeople leaving prison who would otherwise be homeless can be housed through the Community Accommodation Service. CAS-1 is Approved Premises, CAS-2 is bail and home detention curfew accommodation, and CAS-3 gives up to 84 nights of temporary accommodation with basic support. Many then move into exempt accommodation, which needs close joint working with probation and clear risk management.