On this page you will find information about:
- Armed Forces Housing.
- Private civilian housing options.
- More helpful guidance to consider when looking for a place to live.
There are several options for Serving personnel when finding a place to live. The best choice will depend on your circumstances, but the Defence Transition Service (DTS) is able to offer advice for a range of situations.
Visit the GOV.UK website to read guidance from the DTS.
Here is some guidance on how you can go about finding a place to live while serving in the Armed Forces.
Armed Forces Housing
All regular service personnel are eligible for subsidised Armed Forces Housing through the MOD, whether that is Single Living Accommodation (SLA) or Service Family Accommodation (SFA). Learn more about what type of housing you might qualify for below.
Single Living Accommodation (SLA)
What is Single Living Accommodation and Substitute Single Service Accommodation?
Single Living Accommodation (SLA) is provided to single and unaccompanied personnel and is generally within duty stations.
It is normally provided by means of a Mess or accommodation block and, other than for those in training, will normally be a single room with some communal facilities.
When an individual is posted to a location that has no or insufficient SLA, an application for Substitute Single Service Accommodation (SSSA) is submitted and a suitable property is sourced from the local housing market.
How do I start the application process?
When personnel are notified that they are to be posted to a new duty station, it is their responsibility to contact their future unit by telephone, email, letter or online application to notify them when they require accommodation. Although there is not a Single Defence process for the allocation of SLA, most sites will send a welcome pack to new arrivals informing them of local application processes.
Service Family Accommodation (SFA)
What is Service Family Accommodation and Substitute Service Family Accommodation?
Service Family Accommodation (SFA) is provided to eligible Service personnel and their families.
SFA is allocated within a reasonable distance from the duty station, usually within a 10-mile radius and the size of SFA is determined by rank or size of family.
Where SFA is not available, Substitute Service Family Accommodation (SSFA) a private rental will be sourced by renting a private civilian property, in line with the location and standards of SFA.
Who is eligible for SFA?
To be entitled to apply for SFA, service personnel must:
- be aged 18 and over,
- be married or in a civil partnership or who have permanent custody of children, and
- have at least 6 months to serve.
However, if you register your relationship as an Established Long-Term Relationship (LTR) on Joint Personnel Administration (JPA), provide the required evidence, and if there are empty SFA properties on your base, you might be able to apply to cohabit in a surplus SFA home.
Find out more about SFA and the application criteria on GOV.UK.
Cohabiting
Living together, without a marriage or civil partnership, does not entitle you to SFA unless you have permanent custody of children. Also, living together for any number of years does not give you any financial rights if your relationship breaks down or if your partner dies without leaving a will.
The alternatives to marriage for those who live together and want to protect their own interests include joint ownership, joint tenancy, or becoming tenants in common.
Civilian Housing
If you are not eligible for SFA, if there are other factors that make it impractical, or you just don’t want to live in Armed Forces housing, you can look at private renting or buying a home.
There are many things to think about when looking for private housing, including housing size that would best suit you, a location that you will be able to commute from, your other commitments and your finances. Due to the many different circumstances, it is best to seek support from a specialist in housing advice.
Shelter can provide full details of different tenancy types, offer further information if you choose to buy a home, and can advise how best to deal with your housing situation should your circumstances change.
Visit Shelter’s website to learn more.
Civilian Housing Briefs
The Defence Transition Service (DTS) delivers an annual programme of civilian housing briefings to help inform and guide Service personnel and their families about the choices available to them. Briefings are open to all Service personnel and their families, at any stage of their Service career.
These briefs are designed to give you the information to help you make informed choices on your civilian housing, the briefings cover the following areas:
- house purchase (including Forces Help to Buy), private rental,
- independent financial advice (provided by the Service Insurance and Investment Advisory Panel members), social housing, and
- affordable home ownership schemes.
Visit the GOV.UK website for information on these Civilian Housing Briefs.
Brief dates for 2023
To register for the Civilian housing briefs hosted by the DFS please click the link in the table for the date you wish to attend and provide your details.
Date | Running Time | Brief Type |
13/3/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
24/4/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
15/5/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
12/6/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
10/7/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
11/9/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
16/10/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
13/11/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm | |
11/12/2025 | 2pm - 3:30pm |
Forces Help to Buy Scheme
The Forces Help to Buy scheme allows Regular Serving Personnel to borrow up to 50% of their annual salary to a maximum of £25,000, interest-free. This advance may contribute towards a deposit for owning your own home, solicitor’s and estate agent’s fees, and in some extenuating cases to adapt a current property as your family’s needs change.
Who is eligible for the Forces Help to Buy Scheme?
You could be eligible for the Forces Help to Buy Scheme if you:
- have completed the pre-requisite length of service,
- are not a reservist or member of the Military Provost Guard Service,
- have more than 6 months left to serve at the time they apply, and
- meet the right medical categories.
However, there may be exceptions to the standard rules, especially where you have extenuating medical and personal circumstances.
Service Personnel can apply for Force Help to Buy on the Joint Personnel Administration (JPA) portal, through the self-service application. Full instructions are on the JPA portal in the Self-Service User Guide: Applying for Pre-Approval for Forces Help to Buy document.
Other government-backed housing schemes can be used together with Forces Help to Buy.
Learn more about the Forces Help to Buy Scheme and see answers to FAQs.
Modernised Accommodation Offer
The way people live and work is changing and the Modernised Accommodation Offer reflects this, giving more choice to more Service personnel and their families over where, how and with whom you live. This project is a key part of the MOD’s commitment to ensuring a career in the Armed Forces offers a better work-life balance. This new approach to accommodation gives more Service personnel greater choice and flexibility, including the option to live in rented properties, or buy a home with funding from the MOD.
Read more about the Future Accommodation Model pilot study on the GOV.UK website.
Learn more about the updates under the Modernised Accommodation Offer
Support for commuters
SLA charges will be waived for serving personnel who have a main home elsewhere. Serving personnel can receive this regardless of their rank, age or marital status.
Support to buy a home
As well as the already available Forces Help to Buy scheme, serving personnel who are buying their first home will be offered extra support through a refund up to £1,500 of their legal expenses.
Improved Single Living Accommodation
All Single Living Accommodation will be improved to meet a minimum standard.
Improvements to overseas accommodation
A focus on improving the overseas accommodation offer.
Saving Money
Finding a home is a big step, and it can be overwhelming thinking about how you will need to manage your money while renting or buying somewhere to live.
Here are some of our other guidance resources to help you with managing your money:
Living with your partner is a big step, and at the same time, you may also choose to save money together.
The Money Advice Service outlines some of the ways you may do this, but also some of the potential problems you may have to consider.
