Single Mum Faces Losing Home After Tenancy Transfer Refused

A single mother with two children is facing the prospect of homelessness after MHS Homes refused to transfer the tenancy of her home into her name.

The woman has been living in the property with her children but is not the named tenant. Following a change in circumstances, she requested that the tenancy be transferred so she could remain in the home with her family.

That request has been refused.

Speaking to the Daily Mirror, she described the situation as deeply distressing, warning that she and her children now face losing their home despite having lived there as a family.

She reportedly said she “just wants somewhere safe” for her children, highlighting the uncertainty now facing the household.

Without the tenancy in her name, she now faces the very real risk of losing the property altogether, raising concerns about how housing associations respond to family breakdown and changes in household structure.

At the centre of the issue is a gap many residents will recognise. Occupation does not always equal security. When tenancy rights sit with one individual, others in the household can find themselves exposed, even if they have lived in the home for years.

In a statement reported by the Daily Mirror, MHS Homes said decisions around tenancy transfers are made in line with policy, indicating that the request did not meet the required criteria.

Policies around succession and tenancy transfer are often rigid, and cases like this show how they can fail to reflect the realities of modern family life. When decisions are made strictly on policy rather than circumstance, the outcome can be destabilising for households already under pressure.

For this family, the consequences are immediate. Without intervention or a change in position from MHS Homes, they face the possibility of displacement, disruption to schooling, and the wider impact that comes with housing insecurity.

It raises a wider question for the sector.

If the system cannot adapt to protect families in situations like this, what is it actually designed to do?