Finding a home and your housing options

Home Connections

When social housing (housing run by the Council and housing associations) becomes available, it is let in two ways. In line with the Allocation Scheme, the Council now makes direct offers of social housing to two groups of applicants who have a high priority for rehousing. These are statutory homeless families placed in temporary accommodation, and families with a very high priority for rehousing on health grounds who require accessible accommodation. This is to ensure the Council makes the best use of the limited availability of housing.

Properties are still be advertised on the Council’s Choice-based Lettings scheme, Home Connections.

Temporarily moving out of your home

The majority of repairs and improvements can be carried out while you are living in your home. However, if your home needs major repair works, we may need you to move out on a temporary or permanent basis. A surveyor would visit your home to decide whether your home needs major works and how long the works are likely to take.

If the major repairs are likely to take more than six weeks, we would recommend that you move to another property on a temporary basis. For anything less than six weeks we would either consider temporary accommodation, such as a hostel, or encourage you to stay with friends and family.

If we need to re-house you, we will help you to arrange the move to minimise any inconvenience and distress. If you move to another property on a temporary basis you will be asked to sign a licence and you will continue to pay rent only on your permanent home. You would have to pay for any gas, electricity and telephone charges you use in your temporary home.

How do choice-based lettings work?

As properties become available for letting, full details are advertised on the Home Connections website. Printed lists are also available from the Customer Service Centre at the Town Hall. This allows applicants to the Housing Register to see what is available (including property in Greater London). If you have been assessed by the Council as needing to be rehoused, you can bid for available properties. You can bid through the website, by telephone or by text. Properties are advertised on a seven day cycle from Monday morning until bidding closes at midnight the following Sunday.

You are encouraged to bid for advertised properties and be as flexible as possible when doing so to increase your chances of being re-housed.

How do I know which properties I can bid for?

Each property advert will tell you how many housing points you need to be able to bid for it. You will usually need at least 100 points to be able to bid for a property. The only properties that are available for less than 100 points are sheltered accommodation for people aged 60 years and over (or in some cases 55 years and over). The property advert will also tell you the landlord, the level of rent and the number of bedrooms the property has. You can bid for as many properties as you like, as long as your application matches the minimum points and bed size of the property.

What happens when the bidding closes?

We will normally contact the six bidders with the highest number of points who fit the property criteria. They will be invited to view the property. Properties are let to the applicant with the highest number of points. If there is more than one applicant with the same number of points, the property will be let to the applicant whose need for social housing was confirmed by the Council first.

How likely am I to find a property?

Demand for accommodation in the borough far outweighs supply. The more flexible you are about your area of choice, the higher your chance of being re-housed. However, the total number of properties (of all sizes) let from April 2016 to March 2017 was only 433. Over 50 per cent of these were studios or one bedroom properties.

How to find out more

In person:
Customer Service Centre
The Town Hall
Hornton Street
London W8 7NX
Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm

By phone:
Housing Line 020 7361 3008

By email:
[email protected]

Or find out more on the Home Connections Website

A guide to bidding for properties is available on the home connections website, or call us for a copy. Please contact Housingline on 020 7361 3008 or email [email protected].

Last updated: 23 February 2023