If the court grants a repossession order, your lender can sell the property to get back the money you owe them.

You’ll have to pay back the difference if the sale does not cover what's left on your mortgage.

Repossession can affect your housing options. It might be harder to buy another home or rent privately. The council must help if you have nowhere to live.

Moving out after your home is repossessed

Sheriff officers will send you a letter telling you the exact date and time you must move out by. This is called a charge for removal.

You’ll usually still be responsible for things like maintenance, insurance and council tax until your lender takes ownership of your home and changes the locks. Ask your solicitor for advice on your responsibilities during repossession.

If you do not move out in time

Sheriff officers can use reasonable force to remove you from the property. They can secure the property so that you cannot get back in.

Police officers can be present at the removal, but they cannot help the sheriff officers. They can arrest anyone who behaves violently.

You can make a complaint if you're concerned by the actions of sheriff officers or if they damage your belongings.

Check Citizens Advice guidance on complaining about sheriff officers.

If you have a mortgage shortfall after your home is sold

This means that the sale did not cover the full amount that you owe on your mortgage. You’ll usually have to pay back the difference.

A debt adviser can help you budget and plan how to repay the shortfall. They can negotiate with your lender for you.

Your lender could agree to:

• let you pay in instalments

• reduce the total amount of debt if you pay some or all of it as a lump sum

If you think the shortfall amount is wrong

You can dispute the shortfall if your lender:

• significantly undervalued your home when selling it

• did not properly advertise your home before selling it

• blocked you from selling it yourself, then sold it for less than you were offered

Get legal advice from a solicitor if you want to challenge a shortfall amount.

Find a solicitor on the Law Society of Scotland website.

Finding a home after repossession

Renting a home

Some private landlords and letting agencies will do affordability and credit checks before renting to you. Repossession can affect both of these, so it might be harder to get a private rented home.

There are no affordability or credit checks for social housing, so repossession does not affect your application.

Check our advice on:

• applying for social housing

• finding a private rented home

Buying another home

Repossession will affect your credit rating, which can make it harder to get another mortgage.

There are mortgage brokers who specialise in finding lenders who will give you a mortgage after repossession. You may have to pay a larger deposit and a higher interest rate.

Getting homeless help from the council

If a repossession order has been granted and you’ve been given a date to move out, you're legally homeless. This is even if you can stay with family or friends. You do not have to be living on the streets to be homeless.

Check our advice on making a homeless application.

If the council says you're intentionally homeless

This means they think you became homeless because of your own actions.

The council must still take a homeless application and give you temporary accommodation while they look into your situation.

They should take all the circumstances into account. You should not be found intentionally homeless if your home was repossessed for reasons outside of your control. For example, if you could not afford your mortgage because you lost your job.

Tell the council why you could not avoid getting into mortgage arrears, and any steps you took to deal with the arrears.

Even if the council gives you an intentionally homeless decision, they must:

• offer you advice and practical help with your housing options

• give you a reasonable amount of time to find another home before they ask you to leave temporary accommodation

You can appeal an intentionally homeless decision if you think it's wrong.

Check our advice on getting an intentionally homeless decision.