Housing register

Social housing in Broadland and South Norfolk is allocated through our housing register - Home Options.

Not everyone is able to join our housing register, qualification will depend on your housing need, your local connections to the Broadland or South Norfolk districts and how you have conducted previous accommodation that you have held.

Social housing is in high demand and is allocated to those in the highest need. As part of your application you may also be contacted by a housing officer who will talk through all available housing options with you.

Applying to join Home Options

The quickest way to join Home Options is by using the customer portal of our housing register.

Most applications will be completed online, however, if you are unable to use online systems and do not have anyone to support you with this, we can complete an application by phone.

To enable us to verify your housing need and to give advice, you will be asked to provide documentation. You can upload the relevant documents on the customer portal, or you can email or post them to us. We will not be able to accept an application to our housing register until we have all the evidences that we need to process your case.

When you contact us we will be able to advise you regarding the proofs that we will require.

These will likely include:

  • personal identification
  • details of your household income
  • recent bank statements for all bank or building society accounts
  • evidence of any savings, capital, investments or equity in property
  • a 10 year address history
  • contact details for your current or former landlords or mortgage providers

The information required will depend on your individual circumstances, for instance if you have a medical or welfare need to move we may ask for evidence from other professionals to tell us more about this need, if you have been asked to leave by your landlord we may ask for a copy of your tenancy agreement and the notice served and may need to contact your landlord.

More information on the housing register

  • View our online housing register site and customer portal 

    If you qualify to join our housing register you will be able to apply via the link above and if you have an active housing register application you will be able to view and update it on this site too.

    If you would like more information about applying for social housing in Broadland or South Norfolk, or would like to find out whether you are eligible to join our housing register please contact us

  • You can view our Home Options policies below.

    Broadland District Council Allocations Scheme

    South Norfolk Council Allocations Scheme 

    Housing Allocations Policies Supporting Guidance

    These policies details who will qualify to join Home Options, the priority bands that customers will be given, the way that properties are advertised and allocated and the size and type of property that customers may be able to apply for.

    There is lots of other useful information about the allocation of social housing in Broadland and South Norfolk in these policies.

  • Broadland and South Norfolk Councils operate a choice-based lettings scheme to allocate social housing in our districts. If you qualify to join our housing register you will be assigned a priority band and advised which property types and sizes you are able to apply for.

    The available properties will then be advertised each week and you will be able to choose which properties you would like to apply for. You will be able to apply for properties in both Broadland and South Norfolk but may be prioritised for one or other district depending on your local connections and where you have said that you would most like to live.

    Properties are allocated based on need. Our allocations scheme has four priority bands (bands 1-4, with band 1 being the highest band). In addition, connections to specific towns and parishes for local connection properties and particular medical needs for any adapted properties are also used to determine the priority that you will have.

  • If you have an active application on our housing register, it is important that you keep us updated of any relevant changes regarding your housing.

    These may include:

    • moving home
    • being served notice to leave your home
    • if anyone joins or leaves your household
    • any changes in income or capital held by you or a member of your household
    • changes to your phone number or contact details
    • any changes to your immigration status
    • if you start a new job or leave employment
    • if you fall into arrears
    • if your medical needs change
    • any issues relating to the urgency of your housing need
    • any other relevant changes
  • Applying (or bidding) for properties on our housing register is very easy, you can apply for up to two properties each week and you only need access to a smart phone, computer or tablet once a week to allow you to bid via your online housing portal. 

    If you don’t not have access to the internet and are unable to access your customer portal there are options including asking a friend or family member for support, and we will be able to help you with training and guidance to use the portal.

    If you have no means to apply for properties and have no friends or family who can help you with this then we can send a weekly newsletter, and in some circumstances, we can help by assisting you with your bidding. This means we will place a bid for you on any suitable properties, however this does limit your involvement and we may place bids on properties that you may not have done so yourself. Please call us if this is concerning you and we will discuss all options with you.