Glossary: compound housing terms
A comprehensive list of housing terms, as part of Shelter’s house style.
Here are a few of the more commonly used compound terms in the housing sector, punctuated as we would like. If you’re dealing with a term which isn’t listed and need guidance, just email editorialallusers@shelter.org.uk.
For definitions of digital terms, read our digital glossary.
A
Abatement Order
access to justice
advice duty
agricultural tenancies
allocations scheme
assured shorthold tenant/tenancy
Attachment of Earnings Orders
Attendance Allowance
B
bed and breakfast accommodation/hostels/hotels (B&B thereafter)
Bedroom Standard
boundary dispute
break clauses
budgeting loans
C
call centre staff
case management system
cash-incentive schemes
cause-related marketing
childcare services
children’s services plan
choice-based lettings
Civil Procedure Rules
Clearance Orders
Closing Orders
cohabitation agreement
commonhold ownership
community care assessment
community care grants
community care legislation/scheme
Community Legal Service
Community Service Order
Composition Orders
Comprehensive Spending Review
conflict resolution procedure
control area/control area coverage
co-operative
corporate citizenship
corporate social responsibility
counterclaim
counternotice
D
Decent Homes Standard
Deduction-from-Earnings Orders
default notice
deposit guarantee schemes
devolved government
direct access centre/housing/projects
Disability Living Allowance
discretionary grounds
Discretionary Housing Payment
drop-in centres
duty to protect belongings
E
eligible rent
eligibility for assistance
environmental health department/group (capitalise if referring to a specific department)
excluded occupiers
F
fair rent
family access centre
fixed-term occupier
fixed-term tenancy
floating support
front-line staff
full-duty applicant
G
general possession procedure
grounds for possession
H
habitual residence test
hard-to-let schemes
health care provision/services
holding deposit
homeowner
home ownership
homesteading schemes
housebuilding
House in Multiple Occupation (HMO)
housing advice centre
Housing Aid Centre (please avoid ‘HAC’ when writing for the general public)
housing association properties
Housing Benefit
Housing Benefit Pathfinder areas
housing investment trusts
housing support worker
I
implied term
improvement notice
Incapacity Benefit
intentional homelessness
interim payment
Interim Possession Order
J
Jobseeker’s Allowance (JSA)
joint assured shorthold tenancy
joint assured tenancy
joint secure tenancy
L
large-scale voluntary transfer
leasehold enfranchisement
leaving-care policy
litigants in person
local authority housing/departments
local connection disputes
local connection referrals
Local Government Ombudsman
Local Housing Allowance (LHA)
local housing group/solutions
Local Rent Reference (LRR)
lodgings schemes
low-cost housing
M
marriage value
matrimonial property
McKenzie friend
meaningful-occupation schemes
mental health service
mesne landlords
minute for recall
mobility aids
mortgage indemnity insurance
moveable structure
multi-agency working
mutual exchange
N
no right to occupy
nominee purchaser
non-dependent deduction
Non-Molestation Orders
non-mutual housing association
O
Occupation Orders
occupiers with basic protection
one-stop drop-in
outreach teams
Outright Possession Order
owner-occupier
P
Parliamentary Ombudsman
Part 7 tenancies
Part 8 procedure
Pathfinder plans
Pathway plans
payment-protection insurance
peer review audit
periodic occupiers
personal-safety initiatives
practice development programme
Pre-Budget Report
pre-tenancy determination
primary health care
priority need
prison advice project
private rented accommodation/housing/sector
private rented sector schemes
private sector housing
private tenants’ group
Property Adjustment Order
public order offences
Q
Quality Mark awards
R
redemption penalties
registered social landlord (RSL)
regulated tenancy
Rent Assessment Committees
rent deposit schemes
rental purchase
Residents’ Association meeting
respite care
restricted contract
right to assign
Right to Buy (when referring to scheme itself)
right to buy (when referring to a person’s right to buy)
right to manage
rural housing crisis/need
S
secure tenancy grounds
security of tenure
service delivery methods
service evaluation procedure
service user groups
settled accommodation
sexual-health services
sex-work projects
shared ownership housing
sheltered housing
short assured tenancy
Single Room Rent (SRR)
Single Room Rent restrictions
sinking funds
social fund payments
social housing provider
social rented housing
social services department/provision
specialist hostel
Spending Review
Starter Home Initiative
statutory homelessness
statutory nuisance
statutory sector agencies
strategic development costs
Street Homeless Project (SHP)
support service provider
supported accommodation
Supporting People
Suspended Possession Orders
T
tenancy relations officer
tenancy sustainment services
tenant-direct payment
travellers’ rights
tenancy transfer
Tenants’ Association
Time Orders
trailblazer status
trust deeds
U
uncontrolled tenancies
unitary authorities
Universal Credit
user consultation
user participation
V
variation of lease
voluntary sector agencies/group
vulnerability assessment process
W
works in default
Y
Young Persons Team
young single homeless people
Other glossaries
Learn the housing acronyms
Learn the language of digital working in our digital glossary