Looking to find a new home in North West Leicestershire?
What is Choice Based Lettings
We use a system called 'choice based lettings' to allocate council housing and some housing association properties. The Choice Based Lettings Scheme makes it easier for people who need to move by allowing them to choose which properties they would like to be considered for.
Once you have applied and been accepted onto the housing register you can log on and bid for properties.
Available properties are advertised every week on this website. Home seekers decide if they want to apply or ‘bid’ for a particular property. When you bid you register your interest in a property - it doesn't involve any form of payment.
You can only bid for properties you are eligible for. This depends on your household size and needs - for example flats for single people and larger homes for families.
We'll support vulnerable applicants to make sure they do not miss out on potential homes they might be eligible for.
Once a choice is made and a bid is submitted, we'll tell you what position you are in on the shortlist. This position may change as other home seekers place bids.
You can change your bid if you think that it will improve your chance of getting a property.
At the end of each advertising period, the applicant in the greatest need from those that applied will normally be offered the property (once eligibility checks have been made).
Applying to join the Housing Register
Please click on the APPLY HERE button on the home page and complete an application.
Please note that not everyone is eligible to join the housing register and that in most cases you will need to have a local connection to the District in order to be eligible for the homes advertised through this website. The rules on who is eligible and how we allocate properties can be found within our Allocations Policy.
Please note that in order for us to fully assess your housing needs and eligibility you will need to have information about each member of your household including National Insurance number and date of birth as well as financial and medical information.
When we talk about “household members” we mean each person who will be moving with you and who will be permanently living in the property you apply for.
You will also need to upload documents as evidence. A list of the documents you are likely to need can be found when you start your application.
Our Housing Register Team are available to help if you are having trouble filling out the form or uploading documents.
Allocations Policy
Our Allocations Policy is the document that sets out:
- The rules and conditions by which we assess who can go on our housing list,
- What properties applicants can bid for
- How we prioritise applications based on housing needs.
Please read our Allocations Policy 2018 for more information.
Bidding for properties
Once you have been accepted onto the housing register and been made “live” you will be able to bid on properties.
Every week the Council and our Housing Association partners advertise homes for rent in the District. Properties are advertised between Thursday and Tuesday.
You will need to log in with your reference number, password and memorable information in order to bid. You can place two bids each week on properties that interest you. You will be restricted to bidding on properties that you are eligible for. What properties you are eligible to bid on will depend on your circumstances e.g. number of people in your household, medical needs etc. You receive this informatio when you are accepted onto the Council's Housing Register.
When bidding closes the person at the top of the list will normally be contacted and offered the property. If they cannot take it or there is a reason why it cannot be offered to that person then the next person on the list will be considered and so on until the property has been let.
Alternatives to Social Housing
Social housing is in short supply and the type of property you can have is restricted so you may find it difficult to find what you are looking for.
You may therefore want to consider alternatives such as renting from a private landlord or help to buy schemes such as shared ownership. Please use the links below to find out more about these options.
Further information about housing in North West Leicestershire
Please visit North West Leicestershire District Council’s website for further information about housing in North West Leicestershire.
Further information about housing: www.nwleics.gov.uk/housing
If you need help or have further questions
If you need help completing an application or would like more information about Choice Based Lettings or bidding then please contact the Housing ChoicesTeam on freephone 0800 183 0357 or email [email protected]
© 2018 - NW Leicestershire Council