How to apply for council or social housing

What is social housing? 

Social housing is either provided directly through the local council, who own the property, or through housing associations, which are not-for-profit organisations that own, let, and manage rented housing.  

The term ‘council housing’ is commonly used interchangeably with ‘social housing’, however, the term ‘council housing’ refers specifically to council-owned or council-built housing, that may not be for social rent. 

Social housing is intended to provide people with the stability of a decent, safe, secure and genuinely affordable home. It is allocated according to people’s eligibility and need, which can be health related, and the rent is based on the household’s ability to pay. 

Am I eligible for social housing? 

Local councils will have their own rules regarding who can apply for social housing and who has priority for homes, which is called an ‘allocation scheme’. You can check your council’s website (to find out how it works in your area. 

Typically, you will need to be on a low income or not have a large amount of savings and you will have needed to have lived in the area for several years or have a job or family ‘local connection’ there to be eligible for social housing. 

For more information about social housing eligibility criteria, please visit Getting on the waiting list for a council home – Citizens Advice. 

How to apply for social housing 

You can apply for social housing directly through your local council. To find your local council, please visit: 

For more information about the process of applying for social housing through your local council, please visit: 

Alternatively, you can apply directly to a housing association. Your local council will be able to advise of the housing associations operating in your area. 

If you are willing to move nationwide, then you can also use a service such as Homefinder UK | Homefinder  

Your social housing application and EB 

As part of the application process for social housing, you will need to apply for the housing register. Based on this application the council will assess your entitlement to housing and band your priority need. 

You council will have an allocation policy for housing which sets out who gets priority on the waiting list. By law, certain groups of people must get ‘reasonable preference’ which is getting some priority for council and housing association homes. 

Reasons for reasonable preference include: 

• If you are homeless or fleeing violence 
• If you live in overcrowded or very bad housing conditions 
• If you need to move for health or welfare reasons 

If you feel you need to move to a different property due to EB impacting your health, for example if you have to use stairs but find this difficult, you need a low rise shower/wet room but this isn’t possible in your current property, or you need a spare room for healthcare equipment such as dressings, then it is important that you mention these needs when completing the housing register registration as this may fulfil their criteria for moving for health or welfare reasons. 

Completing a needs assessment may help your chances of securing the type of property you need.  

In a needs assessment it is important that you explain how EB affects your health and how it is negatively impacting your current housing situation. 

You can ask a healthcare professional to provide a supporting letter, and the DEBRA Community Support Team are here to support you and can assist you with completing medical forms and submitting evidence regarding your EB.  

What to do if your social housing application is declined 

If your housing application was declined and you think the council got their decision wrong, you can challenge it by asking for a review. 

For more information about seeking a review, please visit: 

Social housing tenancy transfers and exchanges 

If you already have social housing accommodation but because your needs have changed, for example, your EB is impacting accessibility or space requirements in your current property, you can request a tenancy transfer which is where you request a transfer to a different property with the same or a different social landlord.  

For more information about tenancy transfers, please visit:  

If you are looking to transfer to a different property with a different council or housing association, or with a different tenant, this is called a tenancy or mutual exchange. 

For more information about tenancy exchanges, please visit: