Council house - Registering
How we provide this service
Information on council house registering is supported by Housing & Property Service Unit, Housing Operational.
South Holland District Council owns approximately 4,000 properties. We have around 2000 people on our Housing Register and around 200 properties that become vacant each year. The majority of these are in Spalding and our other larger towns and villages. In some of the smaller settlements in the district we only have one or two properties.
We offer housing to people on the basis of their housing need, and we make every effort to give advice and assistance to people from our community with housing needs. We can help with advice on housing with other agencies and landlords.
Fax: 01775 723496
What to do to get this service
The first step is to fill in an application form (PDF, 315KB).
Please complete the form in full and as accurately as possible so that we can deal with your application quickly and efficiently.
If you need help filling out the form please contact us.
What Happens Next?
When we receive your completed application form we will assess your application within 10 working days. We will then write to you to tell you how many points you have.
If we are unable to consider you for accommodation we will advise you in writing, confirming the reasons for the decision.
All information held on your application for housing will be kept private and confidential, and will not be disclosed to a third party without your consent.
Do you need support to live in your home?
If you do need support, tell us on your application form.
We provide accommodation and support for people over 60 years old who do not work or work less than 16 hours per week.
We can sometimes provide accommodation and support for people under the age of 60 who have a disability or ill health, but there is a limited amount of this type of accommodation.
We provide support for council tenants of any age living in our properties who need temporary help to cope or settle into their home.
How do we let properties?
All properties are allocated using our lettings policy:
- Property becomes available;
- We check the register for the applicant with most priority for that property;
- We make an offer to that household.
If two applicants have the same amount of points, the applicant who has been waiting longest will be considered first for the property.
We use this process to let council properties and also to make nominations to Registered Social Landlords (Housing Associations) in the area.
Council tenants who wish to transfer are generally considered first even though their points may be lower. This will only happen if the person at the top of the list can be offered the property they will vacate.
Before making an offer to a council tenant we will inspect their home and check their rent account.
Who can apply?
Our policy
We will assess your housing application using our lettings policy (PDF, 42KB). Our lettings policy sets out how we prioritise people's housing needs using a points system. These are some of things we will give priority points for:
- Overcrowding
- Downsizing
- Medical need for different accommodation
- Local connection with South Holland
If we consider you have been guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make you unsuitable to be a tenant, we may remove all priority from your application for 6 months.
Examples of unacceptable behaviour might be serious rent arrears, or anti social behaviour.
If we consider you have been guilty of unacceptable behaviour, we will write to you to explain our decision. We will review our decision after 6 months.
How long will I have to wait for a response?
If your application contains all of the information we have asked for, we will process your application within ten working days.
How long will the whole process take?
We can't tell you how long it will be before we can offer you a home. Unfortunately there are many more people wanting accommodation than is available.
Links to forms, leaflets and websites providing more information
SHDC Allocations Policy (PDF, 42KB)
Applying for housing (PDF, 1355KB) explains who can apply for Council Housing in South Holland.
Change of Circumstance form: if you are on the Housing Register and your circumstances change, you need to let us know. You can do this by filling in a change of address form (PDF, 16KB).
Supporting You - Lifeline support (PDF, 725KB) for any resident in South Holland
Supporting You - Support to help manage your tenancy (PDF, 796KB)
Common Questions
Q. What if i am a Council tenant and want to move?
A. If you wish to move to another council property, you have three options:
- Join the housing register.
- Find another tenant to exchange with you - this is called a mutual exchange.
- Join the House Exchange scheme - this is a national scheme for council and housing association tenants to swap homes (there may be a charge for this service).
Q. I am a Council tenant/Longhurst Housing Association tenant, can I apply for a transfer?
A. Yes, you will need to fill in an application form (PDF, 315KB). If you have any rent arrears you will need to clear them before you can go onto the waiting list.
Q. How many points will i need before i am offered a home?
A. This is a difficult question to answer and depends on the type of property and area. Generally you will need between 60 and 200 + points for a 1 and 2 bedroom flat and between 50 and 200 for a 2 and 3 bedroom house. For a sheltered 2 bedroom bungalow you could need anywhere from 35 to 160 points and for non sheltered anywhere up to 160.
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Contact Details
If you have any queries about the information provided above, or require further information, please contact Customer Services on 01775 761161 or email info@sholland.gov.uk.
