A study has revealed which London boroughs saw the most significant rise in homelessness linked to relationship breakdowns.
Tower Hamlets recorded the sharpest increase, with homelessness applications connected to partnership endings rising by 712.5 percent between 2020 and 2025.
Newham had the highest overall number during this period, with 2,031 claims submitted.
The information comes from research by Rayden Solicitors examining homelessness trends across 91 local authorities.
The results bring attention to growing worries about the lack of legal protection available to unmarried couples when their relationships come to an end.
Kayleigh Biswas-Gregory, a senior associate at Rayden Solicitors, said the figures, while covering relationship breakdown in general, point to a broader housing vulnerability that many couples encounter when relationships fail. There is a widespread misunderstanding that unmarried partners have identical financial entitlements against each other upon separation as those who are married or in civil partnerships. The notion of a common law marriage is simply a misconception, and the legal position of cohabiting couples differs substantially.
The analysis focused on homelessness submissions where the end of a relationship was stated as the primary cause, showing considerable numbers across the capital alongside areas experiencing rapid growth.
After Newham, Havering recorded 1,069 applications, Southwark had 892, and Hillingdon logged 537.
Other boroughs with significant figures included Haringey (490), Greenwich (462), Sutton (415), Westminster (415), Enfield (397), and Croydon (349).
Although London did not record the highest overall totals, the area did see a 20 percent rise in such cases over the five-year period, totalling 8,795 applications. Some boroughs experienced much steeper growth.
Following Tower Hamlets, Croydon saw a 513.79 percent increase, then Greenwich at 219.15 percent, Hillingdon at 181.93 percent, and Islington at 130.77 percent.
The statistics highlight the legal vulnerability faced by those choosing to cohabit without formal marriage.
Lehna Gardiner, a partner at Rayden Solicitors, said that under existing legislation, cohabiting partners have fewer rights than married individuals. When married couples separate, they benefit from considerable legal protection within family law. The needs of both parties and any children are given priority, and principles of equality and fairness are applied. Should a spouse die, the surviving partner automatically receives rights to inheritance, pensions and insurance, among other things. These protections do not extend to cohabiting couples. This particularly puts the financially disadvantaged partner in a precarious position when the relationship ends. Frequently, these individuals are women who have devoted less time to their careers to care for children. Cohabiting couples cannot depend on family law protections and bear no financial obligations to each other upon separation.
The findings demonstrate how legal and policy frameworks have not kept pace with changing family structures.
Cohabiting households now account for 17.7 percent of all families in the United Kingdom, while the number of unmarried couples grew by 144 percent between 1996 and 2021. With changes to cohabitation law expected to be debated this spring, legal experts are urging couples to take protective steps in the absence of statutory safeguards.
Rayden Solicitors recommends several measures for unmarried couples, including ensuring property ownership arrangements reflect both people’s wishes, creating a cohabitation agreement covering financial matters, housing and child arrangements, and keeping wills up to date.
The research underlines the urgent need for cohabitation reform and increased public awareness about the limitations affecting unmarried couples, particularly during relationship breakdowns and housing difficulties.