Accommodation
A place to live. This can mean a house, a flat, a hostel, a hotel, or even a friend’s sofa.

Allocate
To allocate something is to give something out, or to give someone or something a share of something.  For example, The Gateshead Housing Company allocate thousands of homes to people.

Confidential
Secret.  Any problems you have, if you talk to someone about it confidentially they will keep it a secret, and no-one else will find out, including your parents and guardians.

Counselling
Advice and help.  If you see a counsellor they will listen to what you have to say and give advice.

Floating support
This is when help is provided, but “floats” off to someone else when help is no longer needed, or the support follows the person even when they move house.  In other words, floating support is not tied to where you are living.

Guarantor
This is someone who gives a guarantee that rent will be paid.  For instance, if someone is under 18, a landlord may ask for a guarantor, and if the young person cannot pay the rent then the guarantor will have to pay it.

Independent
On your own, only relying on yourself.  You might not receive any help or support, and will have to cook your own meals, clean your own clothes and pay your own rent.

Landlord
This is the person or company that own the home that you live in.  When you pay the rent, you will pay it to the landlord.  This can be a private landlord, or a company such as The Gateshead Housing Company.

Legislation
This is an official law, or set of laws, that people have to follow.  An example of this is The Housing Act 2004.

Means Tested
The amount of money that you earn is looked at, and from this it is decided, if and how much money you should recieve in benefits.

Mortgage
This is a loan that you can get to buy a home.  You get a loan for the value of the home, and then pay it back over a certain period of time, with interest.  You can get mortgages from banks and other financial services, but you should also talk to an independent financial adviser if you are thinking of doing this.

Private accommodation
There are lots of houses and flats that are owned by people, who decide to rent them out to others, for a weekly or monthly charge.  Because these people are not connected to the Council or a Housing Company, then they are known as “Private Landlords.”  They usually advertise their houses, flats and rooms through newspapers, estate agaents and word of mouth.

Private Landlord / Private Accommondation
There are lots of houses and flats that are owned by people, who decide to rent them out to others, for a weekly or monthly charge. Because these people are not connected to the Council or a Housing Company, then they are known as “Private Landlords.” They usually advertise their houses, flats and rooms through newspapers, estate agents and word of mouth.

Properties / Property
Property means something that belongs to someone, but when you are talking about housing it means a building.  A property can be rented out or bought.  For example, The Gateshead Housing Company manages just under 23,000 properties.

Rent / Renting
When you rent a house or flat, you are agreeing to live there, in exchange for a weekly or monthly amount of money.  The amount of this money is also known as rent.  For example:  I’m renting a really nice flat from The Gateshead Housing Company and it’s only £50 per week rent!

Rented Accommondation
This is when you pay money to live in someone’s house.  The person (or organisation, such as The Gateshead Housing Company) who owns the house will charge you an amount each week or month, so that you can live there.  This does not usually include bills or council tax, and the amount depends on the home and the area.

Rights
Rights are what everyone, by law, is entitled to.  For example, if you are a gypsy or a traveller, you have the right to four weeks’ notice before the council can make you leave a county or district site.

Secure Tenancy
This means that when you rent a home you can live there as long as you want to, unless you break the rules or if there is a special reason that you have to move out.

Semi-independent
This means that you will be partly on your own, and will probably have to cook and clean by yourself, but help will be available at certain times.

Semi-supported
You will have to look after yourself a lot of the time, but help will be available, usually during the day, if you want it.

Support
Help.  If you choose to live in a place that offers support, you will be given some help, such as counselling.

Tenant
When you rent a house from someone you are a tenant in that house, and you have begun a tenancy.  For example The Gateshead Housing Company has thousands and thousands of tenants.

To let, lettings
Letting a house out means that someone is paying money to the owner of a home so that they can live there.  The Gateshead Housing Company own many homes, and thousands of people pay the company money so that they can live in these homes.  When a place is ‘to let’ that means that it is available to rent out.