Can I foster if I rent my home? What you need to know

Although you don’t need to own your home, your accommodation must be:

• Safe, clean, and in good condition
• Stable (ideally with a secure tenancy agreement)
• Free from overcrowding
• Able to provide a spare bedroom for a foster child or they’re able to share yours if they’re under the age of two.

That last point is really important. At Lika Family Fostering, and in line with fostering standards across the UK, each fostered child needs their own bedroom. This gives them privacy, security, and a sense of belonging — all essential to helping them settle and feel safe.

You can still apply to foster if you live in social housing. During the assessment, we’ll simply need to check:

• That your tenancy is secure
• That your landlord (local authority or housing association) is happy for you to foster from the property
• That you have a spare room available for a child

We can support you in contacting your landlord if needed. Most landlords are supportive of fostering applications and will work with you to ensure the right arrangements are in place.

Yes — if you’re renting privately or through a housing association in London, we’ll ask for a written letter of consent from your landlord to confirm they’re happy for fostering to take place in the property.

This is straightforward if you have permission to foster. We can even provide a template letter to make it easier if you need assistance with asking permission. Most landlords are reassured once they know fostering is managed by a professional agency and that regular checks will be in place.

We know that sometimes people move — whether it’s to find a larger home, relocate to a different area, or adjust to life changes. If you are renting and plan to move during or after your fostering assessment, it’s best to talk to your supervising social worker early on.

At Lika, we’re here to support you through transitions like these. In most cases, if you move to another suitable rented property with a spare room, your fostering approval can continue without issue — but we may need to carry out a new health and safety check on the home.

As part of your fostering assessment, we’ll do a health and safety check to ensure your home is suitable for children. This includes:

• Working smoke alarms
• Safe access to windows and stairs
• Secure storage of cleaning products and medication
• A garden or balcony that’s safe (if applicable)
• A welcoming space for a child to feel at home

Don’t worry — we’re not looking for perfection. We’re looking for a safe, stable, and nurturing environment where a child or teenager can feel accepted and cared for.

What you own is far less important than what you offer.

At Lika Family Fostering, we work with foster carers from all walks of life across London — including renters, single people, couples, full-time workers, and those with previous or no parenting experience. What unites them is their ability to:

• Build strong relationships with children
• Offer emotional availability and empathy
• Work collaboratively with professionals
• Reflect, learn, and grow in the role

If that sounds like you, we’d love to hear from you — no matter your housing status.

Yes — you can foster if you are renting your home. Whether you’re in a flat, maisonette, council house, or private rental, what matters is that you have a stable home, a spare bedroom, and the desire to make a difference.

Fostering is one of the most rewarding things you can do — and Lika is here to walk alongside you every step of the way. From your first enquiry to panel and beyond, we’ll offer the support, training, and supervision you need to thrive.

Lika is a therapeutic fostering agency, rated Outstanding by Ofsted. Every decision we take is based on Systemic Family Therapy principles. That means relationships, openness and honesty are at the heart of everything we do. All Lika foster carers receive extensive training in Systemic Family Therapy principles and therapeutic parenting techniques.

It’s similar to the training a newly qualified social worker receives (although not quite as technical) — so you’ll be fully prepared for your first placement and be viewed as a professional foster carer in your own right.

Being a Lika foster carer means always receiving specialised and consistent support from our expert team of professionals.

Your support will include:

• 1 to 4 weekly supervisions with your supervising social worker to talk through and understand the needs of your young person
• 24/7 out-of-hours access to one of the Lika team, so you’re never unsupported if things feel difficult
• Access to Lika’s team of skilled and knowledgeable Systemic Psychotherapist Consultants and Systemic Social Work Practitioners, who are never stuck for ideas on how to support
• Virtual monthly foster carers support meeting, led and chaired by experienced foster carers
• Virtual fortnightly Therapeutic Family Consultations, facilitated by one of our psychotherapists and open to all our agency’s foster carers
• Membership to the National Association of Therapeutic Parents and The Fostering Network
• Life coaching for foster children, birth children and foster carers
• Our Mentor Support Scheme, which partners new foster carers with more experienced foster carers
• Free training for fostering support networks. (Your family and friends are welcome to join any of the training Lika offers.)
• Access to Lika’s support workers, depending on the level of need for the young person
• Access to Lika’s Educational Consultant, who can offer ideas and advocacy in supporting young people to achieve in education
• Help from Lika’s Systemic Social Work Practitioners/Therapists, who can undertake skilled direct work without waiting lists for the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS)
• 14 to 21 days of paid respite (depending on complexity) to recharge your batteries and have some space for self-care.

If you’re in south or east London and you’re interested in becoming a foster carer, give the helpful team at Lika a call on 020 3370 0987. We’re here to answer all your questions.

We’re currently in: Barking and Dagenham, Barnet, Brent, Bexley, Bromley, Camden, City of London, Croydon, Greenwich, Hackney, Hammersmith and Fulham, Ealing, Haringey, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Lambeth, Lewisham, Merton, Newham, Redbridge, Southwark, Sutton, Tower Hamlets, Wandsworth, Westminster, Enfield, Harrow, Havering, Hillingdon, Kingston upon Thames, Richmond upon Thames, Waltham Forest, Harrow and Essex.