Apply for council housing

To be considered for council or housing association properties you need to be on our housing register. Because there are few properties available and high demand for accommodation we need to prioritise who qualifies for the housing register.

There is a severe shortage of social housing in the Epping Forest district. As a result, most applicants on the housing register will have to wait a long time for rehousing. We would therefore strongly suggest that you consider other housing options such as privately renting before applying to go on the housing register.

If you are a council or housing association tenant, have you thought about swapping with another tenant? HomeSwapper is an online mutual exchange register. Anyone can register and view possible swaps. This service is free to Epping Forest District Council tenants.

How to apply

Before applying for the housing register, please check your eligibility by reading the section 3 of the housing allocations scheme:

If you believe you qualify, check you are able to provide all the information we need before you complete the form. The document checklist below must be completed and sent to us within 14 days of submitting your form.

We will be unable to process your application unless you provide all the information we need. Without it, your application is likely to be rejected and you will need to make a fresh application in order to be considered.

How it works

Each year we let around 400 council or housing association properties through our choice-based letting scheme, to home seekers on the register.

If you have been accepted onto our housing register, you will need to actively search for available council properties on the HomeOption website. Details on how to do this will be sent to you once your application has been accepted.

Available vacant homes are advertised on the HomeOption website each week. If you are unable to place bids yourself or do not have anyone who can do so on your behalf, contact the Rehousing team for further advice.

Homeseekers can express an interest in up to 3 properties each cycle. Available homes will be offered to the home seekers who have the highest priority banding and have been waiting longest. This is subject to satisfactory verification checks at the time the offer is made.

HomeOption – Apply for council housing

Help with your application

If you need help with your application contact a member of the Rehousing team:

Housing register applicants

Find the number of applicants on our housing register by band and number of bedrooms on our open data page.

More information