Apply for a council home

Changes to housing benefit from 1 April 2013

The government has introduced new housing benefit rules from April 2013.

Under the new rules, if you have more bedrooms than the government says you need and you are of working age you could lose part of your housing benefit.

This means you will have to make up the difference in the rent from your other income.

Please think carefully when you are placing your bids for a council home. If you receive full housing benefit and do not think you can afford to pay anything towards your rent from your own income, you should only bid for properties of a size that you would get full housing benefit for.

Find out more about the changes to housing benefit

You can apply for a council home through our lettings service, HomeSearch. If you would like us to consider you for a property you will need to bid for it. Bidding does not involve any money - it is simply a way of showing your interest in a property.

Find out more about bidding for a council home

Search and bid for council properties online (you must be registered on our housing list before you can bid for properties)

To bid for council properties you must be 16 or over and registered on our housing list. You may not be eligible to go on the list if -

• you are from abroad (even if you are a British Citizen). For more information please see advice from the homeless charity Shelter

Visit Shelter's website (link opens in a new window)

• you have been found guilty of unacceptable behaviour and we believe that this makes you unsuitable to be a council tenant

How to register on our housing list

To register on our housing list you need to complete a HomeSearch application form. These are available from customer service centres and information points or by calling 01482 300 300. Alternatively you can request an application form using our online form below -

Request a HomeSearch application form

A PDF version of the form is also available to download below -

If you would like help to complete the application form please call into any of our customer service centres or information points and we will be happy to go through it with you.

Find your nearest customer service centre or information point

Once we have registered your application we will write to tell you your reference number and which priority band you are in. You can then start bidding on our advertised properties.

Find out more about priority bands

If you are not eligible to go onto our housing list, we will notify you and tell you how to appeal if you do not agree with our decision.

Nominations to housing associations 

Housing associations sometimes ask us to nominate customers from our housing list for some of their available properties.  If you would like to be considered for these please make sure you complete Section O of our housing application form on page 19. 

We nominate customers according to their priority on our housing list.

Riverside Group properties on north Bransholme

The Riverside Group do not hold their own housing list - they request nominations for all of their available properties (after certain transfers) from Hull City Council. If you are interested in The Riverside Group properties on north Bransholme, when completing your HomeSearch application form you must tick the housing association box on page 20 and state that you are interested in housing association properties in the north Bransholme area.

If you are already registered on our housing list, let us know if you wish to be considered for properties in the north Bransholme area and we will update your application.

Advertising our properties

Our council home advertisements are advertised weekly starting on Thursday. Generally the properties will remain open for bidding until the following Monday at 5pm, however over public holidays we may not advertise or the biddling deadline may be extended, so please check each advert carefully for further information.

You can find council home advertisements in the follow places -

• on our website
  
  Search and bid for available properties
  
  
• on our Looking Local site
  
  Find out more about our Looking Local service
  
  
• at customer service centres and information points
  
  

  Find your nearest customer service centre or information point
  

• in the following libraries -
  
  
  • Stadium Library
  • Greenwood Library
  • Central Library
  • Bransholme Library
  • Western Library

If you are unable to access our adverts in any of these ways we can post the information to you.

Properties are advertised as soon as a tenant gives notice to terminate their tenancy so many of the properties are still occupied. Please do not disturb tenants by asking to view their home. If you make a successful bid we will invite you to view the property.

Find out more about what happens if your bid is successful

Other housing options

There is high demand for our homes so we are unable to offer everyone on our housing list a property. You may wish to consider other housing options such as private rented accommodation or housing association properties.

Find out more about housing associations

Contact us

HomeSearch
Hull City Council
PO Box 15
Hull
HU1 2AB

Tel: 01482 300 300
Text phone: 01482 300 349
Email: hull.homesearch@hullcc.gov.uk