Housing register

Expressing an interest in available homes

You need to be registered to express interest in available Council or Housing Association homes in the Borough through HomeOption (Choice-based Lettings).

You should read the rules applicable to eligibility and allocations before applying, which can be found in the Allocations Policy.

Just because you register, does not mean you will be successfully housed in the short or medium term. There is a significant shortage of accommodation across the Borough compared to the number of people looking to be housed. The time you may have to wait will depend upon individual circumstances and how often bids are placed through HomeOption.

Our policy is that only applicants on the Transfer List may bid on houses. This enables the flats and maisonettes currently occupied by transfer applicants to be made available to applicants on our housing register (HomeSeekers), which we consider to be the fairest way of allocating property.

HomeSeekers are applicants not currently in social accommodation, or in social accommodation outside of the Borough.

Transfer applicants are those individuals who are existing tenants of Brentwood Borough Council or were nominated by Brentwood Borough Council to a Housing Association property within the Borough.

View the Allocations Policy 2021-2026 (PDF).

Eligibility

To be eligible for the Housing Register (home seekers) you should:

• have a local connection to the Borough
• not have a single income exceeding £30,000 or combined income exceeding £50,000 per year, including savings and employment income
• not have savings or assets exceeding £16,000
• be in housing need, for example, currently in accommodation that you don't have a legal entitlement to reside in. If you hold a secure or assured tenancy with another Local Authority or Housing Association which is suitable for your needs then you won't be eligible to join the Housing Register.

Local connection refers to:

Residency	You currently live in the Borough and have done so continuously for the last five years.
Work	You currently work and have worked in the borough for the last two years. This must be for a minimum of 16 hours per week.
Sheltered	Local connection for sheltered accommodation can also be through a strong family connection or medical need subject to assessment. More information can be found in the Allocations Policy.

We give additional priority to those: 

• in employment or employment related training
• unable to work due to a disability or illness and in receipt of a disability related benefit or grant
• with an accepted Prevention Duty under the Homelessness Reduction Act 2017
• who need to downsize to smaller accommodation due to medical support or financial needs
• with increased medical priority where current accommodation is being affected by their health and confirmed by our Independent Medical Advisor

If you don't fit any of these criteria, you won't be able to apply to be on the housing register.

Providing evidence to confirm your circumstances

You will need to provide evidence to support your application. You should not apply until you have all documents ready to send.

You should email your documents to housingneeds@brentwood.gov.uk as soon as you apply online to make sure there are no delays in assessing your application. Remember to attach your document checklist and quote your online reference number and housing application reference when sending any documents.

Sending documents by post

You should send your documents within seven days of completing your application, so that there are no delays processing your application. Remember to send your document checklist and quote your online reference number and housing application reference when sending any documents by post.

You should not send in original documents or letters through the post as we are unable to return these and will not accept responsibility for any loss or damage to property.

You can post your documents to:

Housing Options Team
Housing Needs Section
Brentwood Borough Council
Town Hall
Ingrave Road
Brentwood
Essex
CM15 8AY

Once you have completed the online application and sent all required documents, your application will be assessed and you will be notified if you have been accepted on to the Housing Register or not.

Transfer applicants are required to have a clear rent account of at least six months prior to any offer of accommodation. If a Transfer List applicant has rent arrears within the previous six months, they will be bypassed.

If you have rent arrears, contact the Estates Management team to discuss how you will be resolving this issue.

So that we can fully assess your application, you must provide all information requested and supporting documents. For a full list of what you need to provide, view the Documents required to apply tab below.

You can submit these documents to us online.

If we need more evidence or you forgot something, we will notify you in writing and you will need to send all outstanding documents within seven days or your application will be cancelled.

Due to the high volume of applications, assessments may take a significant period of time. Don't contact us during this period unless you have been requested to do so.

You will have been emailed a reference number once you have applied, confirming we have your application. If you haven't received a reference number, it's likely the form has not been completed. If you have fully completed and submitted but do not have the reference, you should contact us to check we have received it.

If your application is assessed and you're considered to not be eligible for the Housing Register, you will be notified of the reason in writing. You will have the chance to appeal this decision in writing within 21 days. It's always beneficial to provide any documents or evidence to support your appeal request.

Once your application has been assessed and we have received all required information to support your application, we will write to you and advise you of your application number and points allocation.

If you're eligible for the housing register, your application will be backdated to the original date of receipt.

A scheme user guide will be sent to you from HomeOption, which will give information and guidance on accessing and using the HomeOption choice based lettings scheme.

If you're already a tenant of Brentwood Borough Council, you may also register for a mutual exchange via Homeswapper.

If you need advice on your housing options, you can get help.

So that we can fully assess your application, you must provide all information requested and supporting documents.

Transfer

• 2 x passport photos - Current photos in a passport style and size for all over 16 years
• 2 x forms of personal ID - 2 from the list below, including 1 Photo ID for all over 16 years
  • Passport
  • Birth Certificate
  • Driving Licence
  • Bus Pass
  • Certified Photographs (with professional supporting letter)
• 1 x proof of National Insurance Number
  • NI Card
  • Wage slip
  • Benefit entitlement letter
• Evidence of residency in Brentwood (an official document dated within the last month). This must not be any Council correspondence such as a rent statement or Council Tax letter.
• Wage slip (six months)
• Employment Contract
• Proof of any benefits - you can access this through your online account. Make sure it includes your name and address. (Bank statements aren't accepted)
• Full birth certificates for any dependants
• Proof of Child Benefit - you can get acceptable proof which shows names and address at Gov.uk:Childcare (Bank statements aren't accepted)

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Homeseeker

• 2 x passport photos - Current photos in a passport style and size for all over 16 years
• 2 x forms of personal ID - 2 from the list below, including 1 Photo ID for all over 16 years
  • Passport
  • Birth Certificate
  • Driving Licence
  • Bus Pass
  • Certified Photographs (with professional supporting letter)
• 1 x proof of National Insurance Number
  • NI Card
  • Wage slip
  • Benefit entitlement letter
• Proof of pregnancy (if applicable) - Medical letter which includes the Estimated Date of delivery (EDD)

Proof of local connection

If relying on own Residency (all documents from list below):

• Proof of residency dated with last month AND
• Proof of continuous residency for the last five years – one piece for each year
• Tenancy Agreement

If you are over 55 and relying on strong family residency for Shelter Accommodation, proof of:

• family residency for each of the last five years
• your connection to family member (such as full birth certificate)

If relying on employment connection:

• Wage slips for last 24 months
• P60
• Letter from employer stating location, hours and nature of employment

If relying on HM Forces connection:

• Confirmation of employment for relevant individual, or
• Other supporting documentation
• Bank Statement
• Utility Bill

Any proof of residency document must NOT include documentary evidence from Brentwood Borough Council, such as Council Tax. It MUST be independent, for example bank statements, utility bills, mobile phone bills.

Financial Information (for Main and Joint applicants):

• Bank or Savings statements for all accounts for the last three months, showing name, address, account details and all transactions.
• If employed: Wage slips for last six months
• Employment Contract
• If in receipt of benefits: Proof of any benefits - you can access this through your online account. Make sure it includes your name and address (Bank statements aren't accepted).
• Proof of Child Benefit - you can get acceptable proof which shows names and address at Gov.uk:Childcare (Bank statements aren't accepted)

Dependents – Documents required for every child:

• Full birth certificate (not short version)
• GP Medical Card or Letter (if available)
• Proof of National Insurance Number (if dependant aged 16 to 19)

If you have completed the medical section of the form, because your current accommodation is affecting your health, you should also supply all medical evidence you wish to be considered by our Medical Practitioner.

If you're already registered for housing and there is a change of circumstances for anybody that has been named on your application it's important you tell us of the change. We will need to reassess your application as the change may affect the points previously awarded to you.

Examples of a change in circumstances that must be reported are changes to:

• a member of the household
• address details
• financial details (homeseekers only)
• employment status
• medical details
• Criminal offences and convictions
• name (homeseekers only)

Depending on the type of change of circumstance that you're reporting, you may need to provide documents to confirm the change.

You should report your change of circumstance through HomeOption by signing into your account and selecting 'Have your circumstances changed?'.

If false information is given to gain a tenancy, we may have grounds to regain possession of the property that the Council or Housing Association has provided.

What happens next?

We aim to process applications within 28 working days. You should not contact the Office within this time period as it causes delays in processing. If your application is accepted, you will be written to. Applications may not be processed if you fail to supply the required documentation within seven days of submission. Check the online guidance, FAQs and directions on the forms themselves.