Apply for council and social housing

To apply for a council or housing association home you will need to join the housing register.

In Brent, council and social homes are managed through the Locata scheme. This allows you to view all the homes available through the council and each housing association on one website.

If you are accepted onto the housing register, you can ‘bid’ for council and housing association properties in Brent. Brent applicants are prioritised on properties in Brent. They can also bid for home though other partners on Locata but will not be prioritised for those properties.

If you are 16 or over and eligible for social housing, you can apply to join the Housing Register. However, you must have been living in Brent continuously for 5 years before your application and you will need to have an 'identified housing need' (this includes but is not limited to homelessness, overcrowding and below standard property conditions). 

If you have not lived in the borough continuously for five years, you may still apply to join the housing register, if you:

• have left the regular armed forces in the last five years
• are a Brent approved care leaver
• are an existing secure Brent Council tenant
• are a victim of domestic abuse
• are living outside the borough in accommodation provided by Brent Council

Council or Housing Association tenants who don't live in Brent should apply through another housing scheme, such as Home Swapper or Housing Moves, for an opportunity to live in Brent. 

We work out a household’s priority for housing using our housing allocation rules.

We will look at things like:

• your current housing situation
• the needs and welfare of your household

If anyone in your household is ill or disabled and this is being made worse by your current housing situation, the council medical adviser will help us decide your priority.

We put all applications into one of four bands from A - D based on their priority for housing.

Band A will contain those households with the highest housing need and Band D those households with no identified housing need. The reality is we can only offer a home to those in the highest bands with the highest priority. If you are in band D, you may never be offered a home.

There are different types of homes available through the housing register:

• council and housing association homes
• sheltered housing (If you are 60 years old or over)

Number of bedrooms

If you are successful in joining the housing register, you will be able to bid for properties with the number of bedrooms your household is entitled to.

We work this out using our allocation rules and the information you have given us in your application.

We do expect some people in your household to share a bedroom:

• any two adults living together as a couple
• any two children under 10, regardless of their gender
• any two brothers or two sisters under 21 

Some properties are prioritised for certain groups, such as households with disabled or ill family members, homeless households or council tenants.

Guidelines for property sizes

Before you apply to join the housing register, you will be asked to complete our Locata online self-assessment. It only takes 30 minutes and it will help you to get an indication of your priority band and your chances of getting a house.

If you decide to proceed, you can complete the Housing Register online application.

Medical Assessment Form

Anyone in your household with an illness or disability made worse by your current housing will also need to complete a medical assessment form.

Your application will be assigned to a caseworker in the Social Housing Assessment Team to review and validate your housing application.

We aim to turn around decisions on Housing Register applications within 5 working days, however, this may be longer if additional evidence is required or further investigations are necessary.

We’ll let you know if we need more information.

If you are accepted on to the Housing Register, we will send you a letter confirming:

• your priority band for housing
• your priority date for that band – usually the day we got your application
• the size of property we’ve registered you for
• your Locata Identification Number (LIN number) that you will need to bid on properties.

If your application is rejected

If we don’t accept your application, we will write to you and tell you why. You will only be turned down if you aren’t eligible for housing according to our allocations scheme.

If you want to appeal our decision, you have 21 days to do this. Appeals must be emailed to part6.reviews@brent.gov.uk. You will receive a written decision within 56 days of the date of the review request.  

If you are already on the housing register but you have moved or there is a change in your situation, please tell us as soon as possible.

You should report any changes to your household or medical needs, and update your Locata account with any changes of address, email or telephone number.

It is your responsibility to maintain your register entry. Failure to do so may mean that you miss an offer of accommodation or are removed from the register.