Most rooms advertised in Birmingham want a month’s rent in advance, a deposit on top, and references. If you have just become homeless, left hospital, left prison or walked out of a difficult situation, that is not a hurdle — it is a wall.

Our rooms do not work like that. This page explains what we offer, who it is for, and what happens when you apply.

What you get

Every one of our houses comes the same way, so there are no surprises and nothing hidden:

  • Your own room in a shared house of two to four bedrooms — a normal house on a normal street, not a hostel
  • Fully furnished. You do not need to bring or buy anything
  • All bills included — gas, electricity and water. Nothing to set up, nothing in your name, nothing to be cut off
  • No deposit. There is nothing to find before you move in
  • A named support worker who helps with benefits, appointments and working out what comes next
  • Someone to contact when something goes wrong with the house

Because the houses are small, you are living with a handful of people rather than a building full of strangers. That matters more than most listings admit.

What it costs

In most cases you will not be paying the rent out of your own pocket. Where a property comes with care, support or supervision, the rent is usually covered by Housing Benefit rather than the housing part of Universal Credit. In practice that normally means it is paid directly, and you are not expected to find it each month.

There is a service charge, and the amount depends on the property. There is no deposit and no rent in advance. If money is the reason you have not asked anyone yet, it should not be.

Who this is for

This is supported housing, which means it comes with help attached and it is designed for people who need some. It is usually the right fit if:

  • You are homeless, or about to be
  • You are leaving prison and have nowhere to go
  • You are leaving hospital and cannot return to where you were
  • You have left home because of domestic abuse
  • You are a care leaver living independently for the first time
  • You are in recovery and need somewhere settled to do it
  • A relationship or family situation has broken down and you have had to leave

It is usually meant to be temporary — somewhere to get things stable before moving on to something more permanent. If you are simply looking for a cheap room and you do not need any support, this is probably not the right fit, and we would rather tell you that now than waste your time.

What is expected of you

  • Treat the other people in the house decently. You do not have to like them. You do have to be civil.
  • Keep the shared spaces reasonably clean.
  • No violence, no threats, no dealing from the property.
  • Engage with your support worker — answer the door, turn up.
  • Tell us when something changes, so we can help rather than find out later.

Nobody expects you to get everything right straight away. If you are struggling, the most useful thing you can do is say so early.

How to apply, and what happens next

Fill in the application form on our Tenants page. It takes a few minutes, you do not need anything prepared, and you can do it at any hour.

APPLY FOR A ROOM

Fill in the application form on our Tenants page. Our team will contact you within 48 hours. https://mkmhousing.co.uk/tenants/#contact-section11

The form asks for your contact details, which benefits you receive, a short description of your situation or support needs, and how soon you need somewhere. There is a box to say whether you are applying for yourself or through a referral agency.

Our team will contact you within 48 hours. If we can help, we will talk through what is available and arrange for you to see the room before anything is agreed. If we cannot, we will tell you quickly rather than leaving you waiting.

If you have a worker, they can apply for you. If you already have a support worker, probation officer, social worker, nurse or housing officer, they are welcome to get in touch on your behalf. That is often quicker, because they can send everything we need in one go.

If you are homeless right now

Apply to us, but contact the council as well — they have a legal duty to help if you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless within the next 56 days.

If you are 25 or over, or aged 18 to 24 with children: contact Birmingham City Council’s Housing Options service. There is also a walk-in centre at Newtown, though it gets busy, so go early.

If you are under 25 and do not have children: the council’s main homelessness line is not the right route for you. Contact St Basils instead, on 0300 303 0099. They run Birmingham’s youth homelessness service and they are the people who can help.

If you are sleeping rough, or worried about someone who is, you can report it through StreetLink and an outreach team will go out.

A last word

Asking for help with housing is not a failure. Most people who come to us are in the middle of something difficult that was not entirely of their making, and most of them move on to something settled.

If you want to know more about how supported accommodation works before you apply, read our guide on looking for a room in Birmingham.

Or fill in the application form now and we will come back to you within 48 hours.