Are you saving for your first rent payment? Whatever tenure you move into you will need to pay rent in advance, even if you are claiming benefits.

If you are interested in renting a home through Homes in the City, there are two steps: 

  1. Complete an online housing application
  2. Watch our ‘Are you ready’ videos

You must complete both steps for your housing need to be assessed. You will then be given a banding and told the property types that you are eligible to bid on based on your family size and needs.  

Are you ready to be a tenant?

Before you fill in the application form, take a moment to consider if you are ready to be a tenant:

  • Do you have an active email address that you can access?
  • Can you afford to pay the rent and all the bills?
  • Can you afford to furnish a home? Our homes are not furnished so you will need lots of essential items - read about the cost of running a home to find out more.
  • Have you got ID and National Insurance numbers for everyone moving with you aged 16 and over?

If you're applying for your first tenancy, had rent arrears or other problems in a past, or have a tenancy with another registered social landlord you will be asked to watch our 'Are you ready' videos before your application is made live and you can start bidding. Find out more on our Getting you ready page.

If you have a medical condition that may affect your housing needs, please read our Medical prioritise page.

Housing application guide
  1.  
  2. Please ensure that you complete every question in the housing application form that is relevant to you, any mistakes may slow down your application being processed 
  3. If you own your home, you will need to demonstrate that you are actively looking to sell your property. If you are successful in obtaining a home through Homes in the City, we will need to see evidence that the property has been sold 
  4. Joint applications will be accepted from married or cohabiting couples including same-sex relationships providing that each partner is eligible in their own right to join the housing register 
  5. Joint applications will be accepted from people not in a relationship who are looking to be considered for 2- or 3-bedroom flats or maisonettes and are eligible in their own right to join the housing register 
  6. Extended household members or others will not normally be included on the application unless there are medical or social grounds explaining why the household needs to live together 
  7. Please do not add children to your application unless they live with you on a full-time basis, you have a court order in respect to your child, or you are able to provide evidence that the child is both resident with you and dependant on you. A child shall be deemed to be a resident with an applicant if the applicant's home is the child's principal place of residence. Proof may be required to ensure that evidence provided in this respect is correct to the council’s satisfaction 
  8. If you supply false information or do not tell us something we should know, you risk being excluded from the housing register, losing your tenancy and you may be prosecuted 
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