In some cases, the council or housing association can suspend you from the housing list. You will not be offered a council house or social house until the suspension is over.

If you’re suspended, the council or housing association must explain why and tell you when the suspension will end.

This could be after a set amount of time, or when you meet certain conditions. Check their policy for details on their suspension process.

Reasons you can be suspended

You can be suspended if you or someone you want to live with has:

• been accused of antisocial behaviour or harassment during a tenancy

• abandoned or neglected a property

• been convicted of using a house for illegal purposes

• committed an offence in or near a house where you lived

• a month or more of rent arrears or other tenancy-related debt

• already been offered housing and refused it without a good reason

• made a deliberate false statement in the housing application

• had an eviction order

The council or housing association can decide if they will suspend you based on these reasons. They do not have to.

If they have a duty to offer you a permanent home due to a homeless application, they cannot suspend you. Check our advice on getting a homeless decision.

When a suspension for debt must be lifted

You cannot be suspended for rent arrears or other debt if:

• you owe less than 1 month’s charges

• you’ve paid the debt back in full

• you’ve agreed to a repayment plan with your landlord, you’ve been making payments for at least 3 months and you’re continuing to make payments

• the debt is not related to your tenancy, such as council tax arrears

• you’re not liable for the debt – for example, if there are rent arrears on a property you lived in, but you were not on the tenancy agreement

Check our advice on dealing with rent arrears.

Challenging a suspension

If you think you've been suspended unfairly or by mistake, you can appeal. Ask the council or housing association what their appeals process is.

You could be offered a short Scottish secure tenancy as an alternative to being suspended. This means you'll get a home, but you might have to meet certain conditions. It's also easier for the council or housing association to evict you.

In some cases you may be able to challenge a suspension in court. There is a strict 21 day deadline from when you were told about the suspension.

For help with challenging a suspension, contact a Shelter Scotland adviser.