How to apply to join the housing register
- We know it can be stressful if you're waiting for social housing, we want to help everyone, but there are always more people than there are places.
- Unfortunately, we can’t offer a home to everyone who applies.
- There are currently 2780 people waiting on the housing register but only 490 properties become vacant each year.
- Applicants with low need or who require a one bed or family sized property can expect to wait around 10-20 years.
- We follow a legal system that prioritises people by need.
- Even those assessed with the highest need may wait a very long time.
- It is unlikely you will be allocated any type of council housing within the short to medium term and you may be better off renting privately.
Who can apply
To apply to join the housing register you must be eligible to live in the UK and/or have a local connection to Oxford.
Your application could get rejected if you don’t qualify.
Local connection criteria are either:
- Residence in the area for six out of the last twelve months, or three out of the last five years.
- Employment (not short term) in Oxford for a minimum of sixteen hours per week.
- Close family living in Oxford who have lived here for at least five years.
Full details on local connection can be found in the Allocations Scheme.
Proof you need to provide - Supporting Documents
All applications will need to provide the following information before we will be able to start processing the application:
- Identification for each applicant over 18 - Passport, driving licence, residents permit or if you do not have either of these a long birth certificate with any immigration documents
- Identification for each applicant under 18 - Long birth certificate along with child benefit and child tax credit award letters
- Proof of address - Tenancy agreement, license agreement or letter from current head of household. If you are no fixed abode you will need to request a NFA questionnaire and supply letters from any friends or family you stay with
To facilitate processing your application, please send photocopies (by post or by hand) or PDFs (by e-mail) of the documents below, where available. Please do not post any original documents to us
We may also need:
- Proof of capital - Latest 3 months' bank statements of all bank, building society, savings accounts and post office accounts for each applicant over 18
- Proof of income - 3 months' worth of wage slips (if employed) and all benefit award letters
- Full 5 year address history - This should include the tenure you held, details as to how many bedrooms you had access to and your reason for leaving.
- Landlord reference - Either an up to date rent statement or a letter from your current landlord confirming you have no rent arrears or tenancy issues. If you cannot provide this, please provide a written and signed statement to confirm why you could not obtain the reference. Include your full name and address in this statement.
If you have any difficulty providing any of this information, please contact us to discuss it on 01865 249811.
Application form
When completing an application form please ensure you answer all the questions fully and provide all the information requested otherwise we will not be able to process your application.
All information will be treated as confidential, although information may be shared if we need to check against fraud or follow up information about your housing needs.
We will take action against anyone found to have been fraudulently applying for accommodation or not giving full details of their circumstances.
If you are eligible, you can Download the General Housing Register Form
