Apply for council housing

Check if you are eligible, how to apply and search for available council and housing association properties.

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:

Check if you’re eligible

You must meet the following criteria to join the housing register, this includes existing council tenants wishing to transfer:

have a
housing need

can include medical issues, overcrowding, under crowding and homelessness.

Accordion end
and a
local connection

could include (one of the following): 

  • living in the Arun area for the last 5 years 
  • living in the Arun area for 10 of the last 15 years and are currently living in Arun
  • working more for more than 24 hours a week in the Arun area for the last 2 years 
Accordion end

A full list of the criteria and details of the process can be found in the Housing allocation scheme[docx] 545KB.

If you meet the criteria you can then apply to join the housing register.

How to apply

To apply for council housing, you need to register online.

Apply for council housing

Already a council tenant – apply for a transfer

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 allocation scheme[docx] 545KB.

You may get priority for a transfer if:

  • your home is too big for your needs
  • you can no longer afford the rent
  • your family has grown and your home is overcrowded
  • your home is not suited to your needs because you are ill or have a disability

Swap your home through mutual exchange

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.

What happens next

Once we receive your housing application we will assess your housing need. We will look at your medical needs, your housing conditions, whether you are homeless and any other reason why 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.

Priority bands

There are three priority bands - A, B and C.

  • Band A – emergency, urgent priority
  • Band B – high housing need
  • Band C – identified a housing need

The bandings are explained in detail in the Housing allocation scheme[docx] 545KB.

Change to your application

If your circumstances change after you have submitted your application, please tell us by completing our change of circumstances form.

If you disagree with our decision

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 allocation scheme[docx] 545KB.

A quick guide to the appeals procedure can be found below.

Appeals procedure quick guide

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:

  • decision to change your joint application to a sole application
  • decision to exclude, suspend or remove your application
  • assessment of your housing need, local priority and local connection
  • assessment of need following a change in your housing circumstances
  • with our direct allocation 

Appeals must:

  • be made within 21 days of receiving our notification of the decision, we can extend the time limit if it is considered reasonable
  • be made verbally or in writing and explain why you consider our decision to be unreasonable and provide any additional evidence as required

The first stage of review:

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.

Second stage review:

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.

Final right of appeal:

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.

Bidding for a council or housing association property

By ‘bid’ we mean to apply for a property by making an ‘expression of interest’.

We advertise properties every other Thursday on our i-housing portal. Your bids must reach us by midnight on the following Wednesday.

You can bid on a maximum of 4 properties in each bidding cycle.

See the bidding cycle dates below:

Bidding Cycles 2024

Month

Opens Thursday

Closes Wednesday at midnight

December

14 December 2023

20 December 2023

January

11 January 2024

17 January 2024

 

25 January 2024

31 January 2024

February

8 February 2024

14 February 2024

 

22 February 2024

28 February 2024

March

7 March 2024

13 March 2024

 

21 March 2024

27 March 2024

April

4 April 2024

10 April 2024

 

18 April 2024

24 April 2024

May

2 May 2024

8 May 2024

 

16 May 2024

22 May 2024

 

30 May 2024

5 June 2024

June

13 June 2024

19 June 2024

 

27 June 2024

3 July 2024

July

11 July 2024

17 July 2024

 

25 July 2024

3 August 2024

August

8 August 2024

14 August 2024

 

22 August 2024

28 August 2024

September

5 September 2024

11 September 2024

 

19 September 2024

25 September 2024

October

3 October 2024

9 October 2024

 

17 October 2024

23 October 2024

 

31 October 2024

6 November 2024

November

14 November 2024

20 November 2024

 

28 November 2024

4 December 2024

December

12 December 2024

18 December 2024

How to bid

You can search and bid on available properties through our online i-housing portal.

Bid online through i-housing

Offering you a home

Once bidding closes we will put the bids for each property into priority order based on need to make a shortlist of applicants for each property.

If your name is at the top of the shortlist we will phone you to invite you to view the property. If you decide to reject the property we will offer it to the next priority applicant.

Only successful candidates will be contacted.

If you refuse an offer you may not get another offer for some time or you may lose your priority.

Further information about how properties are allocated can be found in Housing allocation scheme[docx] 545KB.

Local lettings plans

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.