Apply to join the Housing Register

The Housing Register helps us manage the very high demand for social housing in Adur and Worthing.

To join the Housing Register you must have a housing need. This means that your current accommodation is not suitable for you or a member of your household.

Unfortunately because there are not enough available homes to meet demand, joining the register does not guarantee you will get a property.

Who can apply

You can apply to join the Housing Register if at least one of the following applies to you:

you have a right to live in the UK
you are over the age of 18
you have lived in Adur and Worthing continuously for at least two years
you are a serving member of the British Armed Forces, have served in the last five years or are a serving or former member who has a serious injury, illness or disability as a result of your service
you are the bereaved spouse or civil partner of a serving member of the Armed Forces and currently living in Ministry of Defence accommodation
you have worked in paid employment in Adur or Worthing for at least two years (for a minimum of 15 hours a week)
you are a current tenant of either the council or one of our registered providers and have a recognised housing need

You do not qualify to join the Housing Register if any of the following applies to you:

you have a household income of £50,000 gross per year or more
you have savings or capital that you could use to find somewhere suitable to live
you own or have an interest in a property in the UK or abroad which would meet your needs, or you could sell to help
your housing needs are being looked after by another local authority

How to apply

You can apply to register for social housing by completing a full application below, this will be assessed to determine if you are eligible.

What information you need to provide:

you will need to enter your National Insurance number and an email address to complete your application

You will also need to provide copies of the following:

proof of identification for you and any other person included on your application (passport or birth certificate only)
marriage or divorce certificates
proof of income, benefits and any savings you have
documents confirming your current living situation, eg tenancy agreement, notice to leave your accommodation, court papers, letters from your mortgage lender or landlord
details of any relevant medical conditions

Make an application:

Apply now - Housing Register Self Assessment (online eform)

If you don't have an email address and need help setting up an account or using a computer, you can get free digital advice and support from your local library.

What happens next?

If you are accepted to join the Housing Register your application will be assessed, and we will give you a priority band based on your housing need. There are four bands, A to D, with band A for applicants in the most urgent need.

You will also be given a priority date, which is either the date of your application or the date your application moved up into a higher band. Priority dates are used to rank applications in the same band in order of priority.

The length of time you will have to wait to be rehoused will depend on the type of property you need and the area where you want to live. If you need a specific type of accommodation, or only want to live in a house, you will have to wait longer than someone who is willing to live in any area and in any type of accommodation.

On average, many people wait three years for housing. If you are in band D it is unlikely that you will be rehoused, due to demand for housing far outstripping supply.

Change of circumstances

If you've already applied to join the Housing Register and want to make a change to your details please complete the form below so we can reassess your housing need. You may need to provide supporting documentation, ie a copy of the birth certificate if you have recently had a child.

Register of Housing Need Change of Circumstances (426KB)

Moving to another property

If you are already a tenant of the council or a housing association but want to move to an alternative property, you will need to join the Housing Register.

Your needs will be assessed in the same way as any other housing applicant. If you are currently living in accommodation which meets your needs but you just wish to move to an alternative property or area, you will not be considered as having a high priority housing need. You may wish to consider registering with a Homeswap or mutual exchange scheme instead.

Apply to join the Housing Register (see above)
Homeswap/ Mutual exchange

If you are homeless

If you are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless, please contact us for advice. For more information please see:

Got a problem registering or a query about how to apply? Please contact the Housing Accommodation Team: housing-accommodation@adur-worthing.gov.uk

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