In some cases, the council or housing association can suspend you from the housing list. This means you will not be offered a home until the suspension is lifted.

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 certain amount of time, or when you meet certain conditions.

Reasons you can be suspended

You can be suspended if you’ve had problems where you live or in a previous tenancy. For example, if:

• you've been accused of antisocial behaviour

• you've abandoned or neglected a property

• you've been in rent arrears or other tenancy-related debt

You could also be suspended if you've already been offered housing and refused it without a good reason.

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

Challenging a suspension

If you think you've been suspended mistakenly or that a suspension should be lifted, you have the right to appeal.

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, and it's easier for the council or housing association to evict you.

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