Uttlesford District Council

 

Demand for council homes is very high. We cannot find homes for everyone who applies. You could also:

  • rent from a private landlord or agent - there is guidance on how to rent on GOV.UK
  • apply to an independent housing association
  • contact our Housing Options Team if you're at risk of becoming homeless

 

Check if you can apply

You must be 16 years old or over to apply for council housing and have a local connection to Uttlesford.

A local connection can be if you have:

  • continuously lived for the last 3 years in the district
  • immediate family who have lived in the district for the last 5 years and who you are supporting or receiving support from 
  • currently permanently employed in the district for a minimum of 3 years and working at least 24 hours per week
  • meet the Right to Move criteria (refer to Appendix III of our Housing Allocations Scheme)
  • exceptional cases to be agreed by a Senior Officer where an applicant has a need assessed under s166a (3) of Part 6 of the Housing Act 1996 (contact our Housing Options Team for advice)

Eligibility can also depend on:

  • your nationality
  • immigration status
  • and if you've recently lived abroad

This is because the law says that there are some people who arrive in the UK from abroad that we cannot rehouse.

 

Who cannot apply

You cannot apply if you have sufficient funds to meet your housing needs. If you are applying for sheltered housing, though, we will not take your funds into consideration.

We will not accept your application if you have a history of unacceptable behaviour that will make you unsuitable as a tenant This includes:

  • rent arrears
  • antisocial behaviour
  • criminal activity or damage to property

 

Existing council tenants

If you are an existing council tenant and you want to move to another home you can apply for a transfer through the Home Option website. It might be faster to swap your home through a mutual exchange.
 

Apply to Home Option

To apply for social housing, you will need to provide your:

  • national insurance number
  • income and savings details
  • details of previous addresses you have lived at with dates

 

What happens next

The Home Option team aim to process your application within 6 weeks if you have supplied all of the documentation.

If your application is successful, check how use the Home Option website, when to tell us if your circumstances have changed and respond to annualy renew requests.

If you are having difficulties bidding or viewing properties please contact our Housing Options Team.