The aim of the study was to analyse what the law is in social services work with people at risk of a forced move-out from a rented apartment. When processing an application for financial aid when a client is at risk of a forced move-out from a home, a discretionary interpretation of the criteria in the Social Services Act is assumed. The legal norm belt constituting the social services role in theory typically makes up the limits of the discretionary space. However, different workplace norms may also have significant influence on the discretionary space around the provision of assistance. Such standards emerging from expressions in local policies (municipal guidelines) and procedures, and interactions with managers, colleagues and clients, are shaping the role of social services in practice. On top of this, differing standards regarding the role of law may have an impact.

Key conclusions of the study are: (1) In the vast majority of landlord applications to the enforcement authorities, financial assistance from the social services had no bearing on the outcome of the case.  (2) The rental law sometimes has a decisive influence over what is and can be the law in social services’ work for clients at risk of a forced move-out due to payment difficulties. ((3) There is a relatively high degree of consistency between norms in legal materials and different workplace standards. (4) Most of the standards identified in legal material and in social work practice have been categorized as related to either need or behaviour. Generally, it is concluded that need-related norms sometimes strongly imply protection not only for an existing home, but also for individual housing needs in general. In contrast, behaviour-related norms imply indifference in relation to not only an existing home but sometimes also to the applicant’s housing needs in general. These conditions create tensions in the social services’ decision-making and confusion about the aim of the individual needs assessment.