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Information about the housing register

Find out more about applying to the housing register, our Allocations Policy, and what happens after you have applied.

Applying to the housing register

Not everyone can join the housing register. Check if you are likely to be eligible.

You can apply to join the housing register provided: 

  • You are eligible for an allocation of accommodation 
  • You are 18 years or over 
  • You meet one of the housing need priorities in Bands 1-3 as set out in the housing allocations policy
  • You meet the local connection requirement as set out in the housing allocations policy.
You can find the housing allocations policy at the bottom of the Apply for housing page. 

You do not qualify to join the housing register if: 

  • You do not meet one of the criteria listed above 
  • You are a home owner 
  • Your family household's gross income is more than £34,000 per annum or £25,000 per annum for a single person household 
  • You have savings or assets totalling more than £50,000 
  • You are excluded from appearing on the housing register (for example, due to your immigration status or because of anti-social behaviour) 
  • It has been found you have given false or misleading information 
  • You have deliberately worsened your housing circumstances. 

You need to use our checker and answer some simple questions to see if you are eligible to apply to the housing register.

If you are eligible then you will be able to create a Housing Online account and complete a housing application form. After submitting your form, you will be given your housing application reference number. You should make a note of it and keep it safe as you’ll need it later. You will then need to send some proofs to us to get your application fully assessed and registered. 

Everyone who applies will need to send us proofs, and what you need will depend on your circumstances. All applicants will be required to provide proof of their identity. Unless you are a current LCC tenant you’ll need to send proof of address, and if you have children then you will need to provide proof of child benefit. All applicants will also be required to provide proof of their eligibility for social housing along with proof of their household income and savings.

Try to make sure you send all your proof documents at the same time, and don’t miss anything out. Things like proof of address should be recently dated, and documents should be clear and readable. If you don’t provide everything we need within three months of applying, then this will cause delays and your application won’t get registered. 
 
Find out more about what proofs you will need to send to us after applying.

Once you’ve sent your proof documents to us, we’ll assess your application in line with our Housing Allocations Policy (available at the bottom of the page), and will aim to do this and get back to you within 28 working days. 
 
We will advise you whether or not your housing application is live, and if so, what band your application has been placed in, and what size of property you are eligible to bid for. If your application is suspended or closed, then we will advise you of the reason.  

If your application is live, you will then be able to start bidding for properties on the HomeChoice website. 

The Housing Act 1996 (Part 6), as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002 and Localism Act 2011 requires local authorities to have an allocations policy for determining priorities and for defining the procedure to be followed in allocating housing accommodation. 

Leicester City Council’s Choice Based Lettings and Housing Allocations Policy explains the rules, criteria and procedure that determine how Leicester City Council allocates social housing properties.  

The Allocation Policy guides the principles of how homes will be allocated in a fair and transparent manner, taking account of both the Council’s duty to take account of housing need and its wish to offer as much choice as possible. 

This policy sets out, among other things: 

  • Who is eligible to apply 
  • Our local connection criteria 
  • What banding priority a person qualifies for 
  • Size and type of property a person qualifies for 
  • If an application should be cancelled or suspended and why 

You can view or download a copy of our policy at the bottom of the Apply for housing page.

Qualifying applicants banding is assessed based on your current housing circumstances, in line with our Housing Allocations Policy. Applicants are placed in one of 3 ‘bands’ depending on their current housing circumstances. Band 1 is the highest priority and Band 3 is the lowest. 

This policy ensures that people with the highest housing need are given priority for housing. 

When we are allocating a property it is offered to the person in the highest band. If multiple people are in the same band, then it would be offered to the person who has been in that band the longest time. 

If applicants do not meet any of the banding criteria in our policy they are considered to be suitably housed and have no housing need, and do not qualify for the housing register.  

After we have assessed and registered your housing application we will let you know what band your application has been placed in and why. This assessment has been done based on the information you have provided on your application form and the proof documents you have submitted, in line with our Allocations Policy.  

Sometimes people will need a separate assessment later to see if they qualify for a different banding priority, e.g. if you have been issued with a notice to leave by your landlord, a homelessness assessment will be required before your application can be awarded banding on those grounds. 

If we think you might need further assessment for some reason, we will let you know how to find out what evidence might be required or who to contact. 

You cannot request to be placed in a higher banding, we can only reassess your banding if there has been a change to your circumstances that means you need a reassessment under our policy criteria. 


Bidding and what happens next

You need to start bidding for properties. To do this log in to your Housing Online account and click on the Choice Based Lettings tile. Available properties are advertised weekly so you should try to bid every week and use all your 3 bids if possible, to maximise your chances of being rehoused. We will only contact you about your bids if you are offered a home.

You will have been told in your letter what band your application has been placed in, and what size of property you can bid for. 

The type and size of property you are eligible to bid for is also determined by the Housing Allocations policy. This policy ensures that people are only housed into properties which are suitable for their needs. 

We would consider how many people are going to be moving with you and their relationship with you, who can share a bedroom, as well as age, and mobility requirements.  

The Council’s housing register is not a quick route to get housed. There is a very high demand for social housing, and you won’t be offered a home straight away. It can take a very long time to be rehoused through the Council’s register and some people will not be rehoused at all. The housing register is not an option for rehousing immediately, and if you need to move quickly you will probably need to find housing via another route. 

Waiting times depend on many things, like what band your application is in, how often you are bidding, the type/size of home you need (some are rarer than others), the areas you want to move to, and general availability of homes, as well as the number of other people bidding for the same homes.

If your circumstances change at any time, for example if you move address or have a new child, or you want to cancel your application with us, then you will need to contact us about this, you can do this online via our housing application enquiry form. It is important you keep us up to date, especially if you move. 

If your circumstances change then we will reassess your banding and property eligibility accordingly, in line with the policy criteria. For example if your family size increases you might need to bid for larger properties, or if you move into a larger home, your banding would be reassessed. If your application banding changes at any time due to a change in your circumstances, we will let you know in writing. 

If you become homeless or are threatened with homelessness due to being served with a notice or being asked to leave, then you should contact us about this on 0116 454 1008 (option 3). 

If you have a live housing application, then we will expect you to be actively bidding for homes. To keep our housing register and applications up to date, if you do not place any bids in a six-month period, and there has been no contact or activity on your housing application, we will consider you are no longer in need of housing and therefore your application will be cancelled. 

Exceptions: If you are waiting for adapted accommodation or a large home with four or more bedrooms, we will review your application after 12 months rather than six months as above. 


Leicester HomeChoice and offers of accommodation

Every week we will advertise available homes on the Leicester HomeChoice website. If you have a live housing application then you will be able to bid for properties.

When you look at properties on the website without logging in, you will be able to see all properties advertised in that week. Once you log in to bid, you will only be able to see the properties that are suitable for you.

Yes. You are permitted to bid for up to three properties per week that you are eligible for. Your three chosen properties are in no preference order.

The properties are advertised for six days from 6am Wednesday to midnight the following Monday. It doesn’t matter what time or day you bid for the property you are interested in - it is not a first come, first served service.

When the advertising cycle ends, we will only contact the applicants that qualify for an offer at the time the shortlists run. We aim to contact the successful applicant as soon as possible after the end of the cycle and the offer will be put in writing. If the property is ready to let, we will also contact the applicant by telephone. 

The system is refreshed every night so your position on the list is a guide and may change daily. Once the cycle is closed, your position on the list will be correct on the day the shortlist is run and is determined by your priority. 

No, your bids all have equal weight. If you are eligible for offers on two of your bids for example, one will not be considered above another when offers are being made.

Please note, an offer of accommodation may be withdrawn at any time. If your offer is withdrawn, you will be advised in writing. If you're made an offer of accommodation, we'll arrange an appointment for you to view the property and sign your tenancy agreement, as soon as the property is ready to move into. The tenancy will start on a Monday if it is a Leicester City Council property. If it is a housing association property, the landlord will advise you accordingly.

All new  Council tenants are granted an introductory tenancyfor an initial 12 month period which will then become secure  as long as the conditions of tenancy have been kept to. Secure tenants have the right to buy and exchange tenancies, introductory tenants do not. Housing association tenancies are usually assured tenancies. Tenancies with HomeCome will be assured shorthold tenancies. 

Please Note: 

  • HomeCome tenancies are not Leicester City Council tenancies. We are only the managing agent for them. 
  • A HomeCome tenancy is not a secure tenancy but an assured short-hold tenancy. 
  • HomeCome tenants do not have security of tenure like Leicester City Council tenants. 
  • HomeCome tenants do not have the right to buy. 
  • HomeCome tenants do not have the right to exchange. 

We believe each of our void properties prepared for letting should be safe, clean and in a good state of repair so that tenants can begin to enjoy their new home straight away.

Our void letting standard was developed in consultation with tenants. Sometimes, we will arrange to complete some repairs after you have moved in. However, this will only happen where it is safe to do so. View our void letting standard.

Before you sign for your tenancy you will be asked to pay the first week's rent. You can pay by debit or credit card or by cash at any pay-point facility 
 
All new tenants are required to pay their rent by direct debit.

This will depend on whether any necessary repair work is completed. We will let you know when you can view the property internally and will arrange for you to move in as soon as possible.

s long as you have not exceeded your permitted number of refusals as outlined in our allocations policy, your application will remain in the same position  and you'll be able to apply for further properties in the next week’s advertising cycle. If you refuse three offers over a 12-month rolling period, your application will be  suspended for 12 months. You will have a right to appeal in writing within five days of receipt of notification of the suspension. Your appeal will be investigated and you will be contacted in writing within 10 days with the outcome. 

Please note you are only allowed one suitable offer if you have been awarded banding priority under homelessness or harassment grounds. If an offer is refused this may result in your banding priority being removed.

Certain properties are unsuitable for pets. This will be highlighted by a symbol against the property advertised.

Some flats may be age designated. This means priority is given to older applicants. 

One-bedroom bungalows and sheltered accommodation are restricted for older applicants. You will only be eligible for these properties if you exceed the age restriction.

When an adapted property is advertised, priority will be given to applicants that require the type of adaptations in the property. 

Log in to your Housing Online account and click on the choice based lettings button. If you have a live housing application, you will be able to see what you can bid for by selecting 'List of available properties' from the dropdown list.

 

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