If you have a legal right to live in your home your partner is not allowed to change the locks in your absence to prevent you from returning.

If you’re worried that your partner may damage your property or possessions in your absence you may wish to consider applying for a ‘non-molestation order’ (a civil court order injunction) to try to prevent them from doing this.

If you want to get your partner out of your home so you can return you may wish to consider applying for an ‘occupation order’ which is another type of civil law injunction which can order perpetrators to leave the home and can sometimes forbid them from coming near the property. See How can I get my partner out of the property? for more.

If you want to make your property more secure so you can move back in, then you should find out if your local authority can help you with this. For more, see the section on Staying without your partner .

If you’re worried about getting into rent arrears on your property because you’re having to pay rent on the temporary accommodation you’ve fled to, you could apply for two sets of housing benefit to cover both rents.

If you’re intending to return to your original property (the one you have left) you can make a dual housing benefit claim for up to one year to prevent rent arrears.

You should seek further advice on this from a benefits advisor (including women’s refuges and other voluntary sector organisations) to find out whether you are entitled to housing benefit.

Who can I talk to?

You can call the National Domestic Violence Helpline (0808 2000 247) for further information on all of the above.

This article was last reviewed by Catherine Orr Deas in December 2005.
First published in February 2003.