Council housing

Apply for council housing Apply for council housing

You can also apply by phone with one of our Housing Options advisors.

After you have applied

We may ask you to send supporting information or other evidence and we may need to visit your accommodation to confirm your circumstances.  

You will be awarded housing need points depending on your housing circumstances based on things like overcrowding, medical circumstances etc.

We will write to you to tell you whether you have been added to our housing needs register, your housing need points and the type of property that you have been registered for, including the areas you have chosen.

How long will it take

If we have all the information we need, your application will usually be assessed within 6 weeks.

Once your points have been awarded you can contact an adviser at Housing Options who will give further advice on area choices and likely waiting times. They will be able to provide you with your approximate position on the housing needs register and advise you whether you are in the top 10 or 20 etc. Please remember positions can change on a daily basis as new applications are assessed and / or people are housed or cancelled.

Generally there is a shortage of available properties and a large demand for accommodation. Some areas are particularly popular, resulting in a high demand and longer waiting times. Certain areas have a low number of council properties, again resulting in longer waiting times. You need to consider all of this when applying and selecting your areas.

In all cases, council and housing association properties will go to people most in need, and we cannot offer council or housing association accommodation to everyone who applies.

You should therefore also consider renting in the private section as an option.

Your adviser will be as realistic as possible with you and provide you with other housing options including how we can help you stay where you are and renting from a private landlord.

You will be contacted by the appropriate area housing office if they are able to offer you permanent accommodation.