We are committed to offering an element of choice to all those looking for homes, allowing people to make well-informed decisions about their housing options referred to as 'Choice Based Lettings'.
Demand for council homes is very high. We cannot find homes for everyone who applies.
You could also:
You must meet the following criteria to join the housing register, this includes existing council tenants wishing to transfer:
can include medical issues, overcrowding, under crowding and homelessness.
could include (one of the following):
A full list of the criteria and details of the process can be found in the Housing Allocations Policy[pdf] 523KB.
If you meet the criteria you can then apply to join the housing register.
If you were registered on the Arun Housing Register before 31 May 2024, you will have been sent a letter with your login details. You will need these details to re-register on Arun Homefinder.
If you are a new applicant to the housing register, please do so on Arun Homefinder. You will need to create a new household and complete the housing register application form.
You can apply for a transfer if you're already a council or housing association tenant and want to move to a new home.
You'll need to make a new application to go on the housing register. Your application for a transfer will be considered under our Housing Allocations Policy[pdf] 523KB.
You may get priority for a transfer if:
A transfer is different to swapping your home through mutual exchange where you find another council or housing association tenant to swap your home with. This can sometimes be a quicker option than applying for a transfer.
If you're flexible about where you live you might also consider moving out of the area where demand may not be so high. You need to contact the relevant council in that area to find out what is available.
Once we receive your housing application we will assess your housing need. We will look at your medical needs, housing conditions, whether you are homeless, and any other reason you need to be rehoused.
If approved, we will notify you of your priority banding along with the bidding instructions so you will be able to bid on properties suitable for your needs.
If we reject your application we will write to you to explain why.
There are 4 priority bands - A, B and C.
The bandings are explained in detail in the Housing Allocations Policy[pdf] 523KB.
If your circumstances change after you have submitted your application, you will need to log in to your Arun Homefinder account and edit your application form. These changes will then be reviewed and you will be notified if there is a change to your application. You can also upload new documents to your application.
If your application is rejected or you disagree with the priority banding you have been allocated you can request a review of the decision. Details of how to do this can be found in the Housing Allocations Policy[pdf] 523KB.
A quick guide to the appeals procedure can be found below.
In some cases, you may request a review of our decision concerning your housing application. Following a decision, if you remain dissatisfied, you can ask for the decision to be reviewed by the Housing Allocations Appeals Panel.
You may only request a review if you disagree with the following:
At the first stage of the review, a team leader will reassess our decision by checking the actions taken by our allocations team. The team leader will respond to you within 2 weeks of the review request and advise you if the decision is going to be delayed for any reason.
If you disagree with the team leader’s reassessment, you can request a second stage review by the housing services manager or another manager who is senior to the team leader.
The housing services manager, or another manager, will carry out the second stage review and respond to you within 8 weeks of the review request being received. You will be advised if the decision is going to be delayed for any reason.
If you disagree with the second stage review decision, you can have a final right of appeal to the Housing Appeals Panel which comprises of three of our councillors and is supported by a senior member of staff who has not been involved in the original decision.
A request for an appeal must be made within 21 days from the day on which you received notification of our second-stage review decision, we have the discretion to extend the time limit if it is considered that this would be reasonable.
Any request for an appeal must be on the basis that the published policy has not been applied correctly to your household’s circumstances. If you wish to challenge the allocations scheme itself you are advised to seek independent legal advice.
Requests for an appeal may be made verbally or in writing. You will be asked to explain why you consider we have misapplied the published policy. You can present your case to the panel in person and be accompanied by a relative or friend but you can not be formally represented by a third party.
We will aim to carry out an appeal hearing and respond to you within 8 weeks of the appeal request being received and will advise if for any reason the decision is going to be delayed
If you remain dissatisfied with our decision you will be advised that you have the right to refer your case to the Local Government Ombudsman service or equivalent and can seek specialist advice.
By 'bid' we mean to apply for a property by making an 'expression of interest.'
We will no longer be having 'cycles,' and properties may be added each weekday and will be advertised for 7 days from the date they are published.
You will be able to search and bid on available properties through our Arun Homefinder website
Bid online through Arun Homefinder
Once a property has been advertised for 7 days, the bids for each property will be ordered based on priority banding and length of time on the housing register.
If your name is at the top of the shortlist, you will be contacted and may need to provide some additional information before any offer is made.
Only successful applicants will be contacted.
If you refuse an offer you may not get another offer for some time; you may lose your priority or, in some cases, be removed from the housing register.'
Further information about how properties are allocated can be found in our Housing Allocations Policy[pdf] 523KB.
We have one local lettings plan in place for Nightingales in Findon. If you would like to bid on a property with a local lettings plan in place, please read our local lettings plan page first.