Description
Shelter is a British housing charity whose free online advice explains tenants’ rights in England on deposits, repairs, rent rises and eviction, with a helpline and webchat for urgent cases and solicitors who defend people facing eviction.
Shelter is a registered charity in England and Wales and in Scotland. Its advice pages are kept up to date: the page on the Renters’ Rights Act was last updated on 24 September 2026 and explains that private tenants have new rights since 1 May 2026, that section 21 “no-fault” eviction notices can no longer be given, that rent can rise only once a year with at least two months’ notice, and that landlords may ask for no more than one month’s rent in advance. The deposits page, updated in May 2026, explains that a landlord must protect the deposit in a scheme.
The helpline and webchat are for people who are homeless, have nowhere to stay tonight, are at risk of harm at home or may lose their home within two months. Shelter’s solicitors give free legal advice and go to court with people facing eviction. In 2024/25 it received £49.6 million in voluntary income: 66 % from donations and legacies, 17 % from Shelter shops, 15 % from funded advice and support and 2 % from training and publications.
Strengths
- The advice is free, detailed and dated, including the 2026 changes under the Renters’ Rights Act.
- Free solicitors help people facing eviction, including in court.
- It is a charity funded mostly by donations and its shops, not by landlords or agents.
Weaknesses
- The helpline and webchat are reserved for urgent cases, so most renters have to rely on the web pages.
- The advice on this site covers England; Scotland and Wales have separate rules and pages.
- The pages read don’t show the helpline number or opening hours, which are on a separate page.
Who it is for
Private and social renters in England who have a problem with a deposit, repairs, a rent rise or an eviction notice, and want to know their rights before talking to the landlord.
Sources
- Shelter: home, get help, what we do, how we spend your money, Renters’ Rights Act changes, tenancy deposits (checked November 2026)