Cohabiting couples face rising homelessness risks

Recent decades have seen a significant shift in family structures within the UK, with more couples opting to cohabit without the legal binding of marriage. As of 2021, cohabiting couples make up 17.7% of all families in the UK, a notable rise of 144% since 1996. However, legal protections for these couples have not evolved in tandem, posing considerable risks as they lack the same rights as married couples or those in civil partnerships regarding property and finances.

A new study by Rayden Solicitors highlights this urgent issue by analysing homelessness applications linked to relationship breakdowns from 2020 to 2025 across 91 local authorities in England and Wales. The findings unveil that 85,000 homelessness cases have been connected to relationship breakdowns, bringing into sharp focus the precarious legal position of cohabiting couples at the end of their relationships. Kayleigh Biswas-Gregory, a Senior Associate at Rayden Solicitors, expressed, “While this data captures relationship breakdown more broadly, it highlights a wider housing risk that many couples face when relationships end.”

In terms of regional breakdowns, the North West experienced the highest number of homelessness applications related to relationship breakdowns, totalling 17,504. This was followed by Wales, with 15,780 applications, while the South West and London recorded 9,390 and 8,795 respectively. Although the West Midlands and East of England had the lowest overall applications, the East of England nonetheless experienced a staggering increase of 185.38% over the studied period, with the number of applications rising from 260 to 742.

In discussing the legal vulnerabilities of cohabiting couples, Lehna Gardiner, a partner at Rayden Solicitors, stated, “Under the current law, cohabitees have limited rights compared to those who are married.” She emphasised that married couples are given substantial legal protections that ensure fairness and equality when relationships dissolve. In contrast, cohabiting couples often find themselves without any legal framework or obligations upon separation, which can disproportionately affect financially weaker individuals, predominantly women who may have taken time away from their careers to raise children.

In light of these challenges, cohabiting couples are encouraged to take proactive steps to protect themselves legally. This includes ensuring that any jointly purchased property is legally owned in a manner that reflects their intentions, entering into a cohabitation agreement that outlines their financial arrangements and responsibilities, and keeping their wills up-to-date to ensure their wishes are honoured should the worst occur