Information and guidance on civilian housing
Source: gov.uk (2025-10-15)

Civilian housing options; information for service personnel and their dependants.

About

The Defence Transition Services (DTS) team is the MOD’s tri-service focal point to provide service personnel and their dependants with civilian housing information for those wishing to move to civilian accommodation at any time in their career, and for those during resettlement to assist with the transition to civilian life.

DTS, together with colleagues in the Veterans Welfare Service (VWS) can provide advice and guidance to help you make informed choices on your civilian housing options as you transition out of the forces.

A referral will include consideration of your housing needs as well as issues affecting other aspects of your life. You can approach your respective welfare teams to make a referral via a DTRP 1 form (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/in-service-referrals) or make a self referral (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/self-referral-process-and-third-party-referrals) on a DTRP 2 form.

In line with the Government’ Strategy for Our Veterans, the Joint Service Housing Advice Office (JSHAO) and its outputs were reviewed. A revised set of these outputs is now delivered by Defence Transition Services (DTS), part of Defence Business Services (DBS) and the JSHAO brand no longer exists. This brings efficiency to the co-ordination and delivery of the through-career transition information and support services, meeting the needs of the Service community now and in the future. As part of this merger we have now incorporated the MOD Referral Scheme into existing Defence Transition Services/Veterans Welfare Service support mechanisms.

Service family accommodation (SFA)

The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), on behalf of MOD manages a comprehensive SFA maintenance service; the allocation of properties; SFA furniture; conducting move in and move out appointments; and the provision of improvements. Contact details available on the Service Family Accommodation website (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/defence-infrastructure-organisation-service-family-accommodation).

For enquiries about loss of entitlement to SFA resulting from retirement, redundancy, discharge or estrangement, please contact the DIO Loss of Entitlement Team by telephoning xx-xxxx-xxxx or 94510 8000. Alternatively, you can contact them by email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)

Civilian housing briefs

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 and the need to plan ahead. 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

affordable home ownership schemes.

Brief dates for 2025

To register for the Civilian housing briefs please the click the link in the table for the date you wish to attend and provide your details.

Brief dates for 2026

To register for the Civilian housing briefs please the click the link in the table for the date you wish to attend and provide your details.

Please be aware that DTS are unable to assist directly with Forces Help to Buy (FHTB) or Loss of Entitlement (LOE) queries. Service personnel with FHTB enquiries or applications, please contact the FHTB team at xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx) or xx-xxxx-xxxx (Option 4).

Service personnel with enquiries regarding Notice to Vacate (NTV) letters or retention of SFA, please contact the LOE team via xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx).

If you require transitional housing advice and guidance please see details of the help we can offer and how to refer to us at the following link - Help for service leavers from Defence Transition Services - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/help-and-support-for-service-leavers-and-their-families#how-to-make-a-referral)

Services Cotswold Centre

The Services Cotswold Centre (SCC) is a tri-Service facility that provides short term transit accommodation for service personnel, their spouses, civil partners and families. Find out more information about the service they can provide in the link below.

Services Cotswold Centre (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/services-cotswold-centre)

Further advice and information

Veterans’ Gateway (https://www.veteransgateway.org.uk/) launched in April 2017 and should be the first point of contact for veterans seeking support.
- Service personnel housing: other organisations who can help (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/service-personnel-housing-other-organisations-who-can-help)
- Service Family Accommodation (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/defence-infrastructure-organisation-service-family-accommodation)
- Forces Help to Buy: help to get on the property ladder (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/forces-help-to-buy)
- Service leavers’ guide (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/service-leavers-pack)
- Tri-service accommodation regulations (TSARs) (JSP 464) (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/jsp-464-tri-service-accommodation-regulations-tsars)
Contact DTS

Email: xxx@xxx.xx (mailto:xxx@xxx.xx)