ental accommodation often plays an important role for clients navigating clinical negligence or personal injury claims. In most cases, it is not a final solution but a temporary step, providing stability while litigation is ongoing, funding is being agreed or a long-term home is being sourced, designed and adapted.
In the current market, securing the right rental is rarely straightforward. It requires time, experience and a clear understanding of how property, adaptation and litigation timelines overlap.
Why Finding the Right Rental Has Become More Difficult
The rental market remains under significant pressure. The cost of living crisis, interest rates and uncertainty surrounding the Renters’ Rights Bill have all contributed to reduced movement. Fewer people are relocating, and many landlords are choosing to sell or exit the market altogether.
As a result, there are fewer properties available and far greater competition for those that are. For clients who urgently need interim accommodation, this adds complexity at a point when certainty and stability are especially important.
Setting Expectations Early
One of the most important conversations happens at the outset. There are very few, if any, rental properties that are already accessible or suitable for complex needs. The role of the Property Finding team is not to locate something that already works, but to identify properties with the potential to be adapted safely and appropriately.
There is also often concern about landlord consent. Many assume that adaptations such as wet rooms or through-floor lifts will not be agreed. In practice, outcomes depend largely on how early these discussions take place and how clearly and professionally they are handled.
How the Property Finding Team Approaches the Search
The process always begins with the individual. The team supports a wide range of injuries and disabilities, carefully establishing requirements such as bedroom sizes, bathing needs, circulation space and family dynamics.
This early stage often involves close collaboration with occupational therapists, case managers and the wider client team, ensuring that living needs are properly understood before any properties are assessed.
From there, attention shifts to the property itself. Rather than focusing on surface features, the team assesses the structure and layout of the building, including room proportions, ceiling heights and the potential to reconfigure space.
Properties with flexible layouts or additional reception rooms can often be adapted effectively. For example, a reception room may be repurposed as a wet room or existing space reworked to better support daily living. Space is the key factor. Where there is enough of it, there is usually scope to create a workable solution.
Specialist experience is critical here. Knowing what can realistically be adapted, what will not work and where compromise is reasonable helps avoid wasted time and unrealistic viewings.
What Tends to Work Best
Single-storey accommodation such as bungalows are often the most straightforward option, although availability is limited. Larger detached or semi-detached houses also tend to offer better flexibility.
Where apartments are considered, purpose-built developments are generally more suitable than conversions. Ground-floor apartments are preferred, or buildings with at least two independent lifts to reduce reliance on a single access point.
Smaller properties and terraced houses often present challenges due to space constraints. Even though a rental is temporary, the aim is never for clients to simply make do. The property still needs to support comfort, dignity and recovery.
Timescales, Competition and the Importance of Funding
In a competitive market, preparation is essential. One of the most common reasons opportunities are lost is the delay in securing funding. In some cases, funding can take several weeks to be approved, by which time a suitable property may already be gone.
Where funds are not yet available, it is often more effective to pause and plan rather than proceed with a search that may not be viable. In these situations, a Property Market Analysis can be a valuable first step. This outlines current conditions in the local property market and provides clarity on the budgets required to secure a suitable rental or purchase within a specific area.
Completing this work early helps manage expectations and assess options realistically. It also allows the search to move forward quickly and with purpose once funding is in place, reducing the risk of wasted viewings or missed opportunities.
Throughout this process, the Property Finding team works closely with the client’s wider team to establish financial clarity as early as possible, ensuring that decisions can be made confidently when the right opportunity arises.
Managing Landlord Engagement
Landlord engagement is a key part of the process and one that requires experience. Common concerns include disruption, reinstatement and the condition of the property at the end of the tenancy.
These conversations are handled upfront. Landlords are informed early about proposed adaptations, reassured that all works will be reinstated and given clear information about how the tenancy will operate. While adaptations such as through-floor lifts or wet rooms can sound concerning initially, clear explanation of the reinstatement process often provides reassurance.
Understanding when a landlord is open to discussion and when to step away helps avoid wasted time and unnecessary stress for clients.
Why Use a Specialist Property Finding Team
Finding a rental that can be adapted is not the same as finding a standard rental property. It requires a detailed understanding of space, adaptation potential, landlord engagement and litigation timelines.
A specialist Property Finding team brings structure and clarity to a process that can otherwise feel overwhelming. They know what to look for, what to avoid and how to move quickly when the right opportunity appears. They also act as a buffer, managing sensitive conversations with landlords and agents professionally, helping preserve relationships and improve outcomes.
Most importantly, specialist input helps ensure that interim accommodation genuinely improves a client’s situation. Even as a stepping stone, the right rental can restore stability, reduce stress and allow families to focus on recovery while longer-term plans progress.
What Success Looks Like
In the current market, success is not about finding a perfect or fully accessible rental. Often, it is simply securing a property with the potential to be adapted.
More than that, success means creating a safe and workable home that leaves a client in a better position than before. For many families, that stability makes a meaningful difference while litigation continues and permanent housing solutions are worked towards.
