You can apply for social rented housing in East Staffordshire by applying to join the East Staffordshire Housing Register.
There is high demand for most social housing, which is allocated in accordance with the East Staffordshire Allocations Policy, and most people have to wait many months or years before they are offered a home. You are likely to be excluded if you have a history of rent arrears or antisocial behaviour.
The East Staffordshire Housing Register gives you access to housing owned by partner Housing Associations Trent & Dove Housing, Orbit Heart of England, Sanctuary Housing, Midland Heart, Waterloo Housing Association, Spirita, and Derwent Living. You will also have access to half of the housing owned by Anchor, Guinness-Northern Counties, and Housing 21. East Staffordshire Borough Council does not own any housing. The register is maintained for partners by Trent & Dove Housing.
All the partners are committed to choice based letting. This means available properties are advertised and applicants registered on the housing register are invited to express their interest in them.
For further details see the 
Finding a home leaflet. Properties are offered to applicants in accordance with the shared Allocations Policy.
If you are at risk of losing your current home see Losing your home. If you are homeless see Homelessness.
Is it worth me applying?
Most housing associations with housing in East Staffordshire are registered as charitable organisations and therefore have to ensure that tenancies are granted to qualifying applicants. This includes people who are of pensionable age, registered disabled, those with chronic or long-term physical or mental heath problems and those who have a net household income of less than £30,500 (as at April 2009). Applicants will be assessed by the relevant housing association at the point of being offered a property to take account of any changes in their circumstances.
If you are aged 16 or 17 you cannot legally hold a tenancy until you become 18, Hence you can only be allocated a rented home if you have a suitable trustee. Landlords may also require a guarantor.
Also note that there is high demand for most housing association rented housing. To work out your chances of being offered a home follow these steps:
STEP 1: Work out how many bedrooms you are likely to be entitled to
You are normally entitled to a separate bedroom for:
- Each couple (including people in a same sex relationship);
- Each individual, of any age, not part of a couple;
- An expected child, from 6 months prior to the expected date of birth.
You are also entitled to bedrooms for children to whom an applicant has significant access:
- If there are no resident children, a separate bedroom will be allowed for each of up to 2 children but only in respect of flats.
- If there are also one or more resident children then entitlement will be to 3 bedroom houses and flats.
Couples will be entitled to 2 bedrooms in flats or bungalows if either of them is aged 60+.
Applicants are eligible for homes with the number of bedrooms they are entitled to and those with fewer bedrooms provided this does not lead to overcrowding. Eg if you are entitled to 4 bedrooms you are eligible for 3-bedroom homes as well as 4-bedroom homes, but you are not likely to be offered a 2-bedroom home.
STEP 2: Work out which Band you are likely to be in
Find the category below which best describes your current housing circumstances. Shortage of bedrooms compares the number of bedrooms you currently have with the number you are entitled to.
Band 1 (Highest)
- The Council has accepted a statutory duty to secure that accommodation is or does not cease to be available to you eg a main homelessness duty
- The Council has agreed to assist another Council that has accepted a homelessness duty under Section 193(2) of the Housing Act 1996 to secure that accommodation is available to you because of violence or threats of violence likely to be carried out, and you urgently need re-housing outside of that council’s district.
- Your current home is within East Staffordshire and is subject to a Prohibition Order covering a main part of the dwelling
- Your present home is short of at least 3 bedrooms (when compared to your bedroom entitlement), or an adult has to share a bedroom with 3 or more children. Only resident children are counted.
- You have an urgent need to move on medical or welfare grounds as verified by a relevant professional.
- You fall into more than one category of need in Band 2 and it is considered that Band 1 status would be a fairer reflection of your cumulative need.
- You are presently the tenant of a Housing Association house within East Staffordshire in an area where there is demand for houses, and you are prepared to move to a flat or bungalow, thereby making your current home available to a household that needs a house.
- You are presently the tenant of a Housing Association property in East Staffordshire which has a significant adaptation which your household does not need and which another household on the Housing Register does need.
- You are presently living in temporary supported housing within East Staffordshire or arranged by or on behalf of the Council, and the accommodation provider has assessed that you no longer need the support provided and are therefore ready to move on, thereby making your current home available to a person who needs it.
Band 2
- You need to move to be able to take up or retain employment. The employment must be for at least 16 hours per week and be due to last at least 6 months and this must be evidenced in writing by the employer.
- You need to move closer to relatives or local facilities so that you can give or receive appropriate support or care. The extent of the need and support will need to be proven, for example by receipt of attendance allowance.
- A housing authority has decided that you are homeless or threatened with homelessness within the meaning of Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 but you are not entitled to Band 1 status.
- You need to move on medical or welfare grounds as verified by a relevant professional, but not urgently. This includes grounds relating to disability.
- Your present home is short of 2 bedrooms (when compared to your bedroom entitlement). Only resident children are counted.
- You are presently the tenant(s) of a Housing Association property in East Staffordshire and your home has been specifically designated for an age group to which you do not belong or you no longer meet the criteria of a Local Lettings Policy covering your current property.
- You have a resident child under 11 and are living in a flat above first floor.
Band 3
- You have a resident child under 11 and do not have an enclosable private garden.
- Your present home is short of at least 1 bedroom (when compared to your bedroom entitlement). Children to whom the applicant or joint applicant has significant access are counted as well as resident children.
- You do not own your own home or hold a tenancy.
- You presently have to share a kitchen, bathroom or WC with another household and you are over 25 years old, or a couple, or your household includes children.
Band 4 (Lowest)
- You have been placed into Band 4 instead of being excluded.
- You have sufficient capital to purchase a property to meet your needs.
- You do not meet the criteria for any other category above.
Homes which become available are offered to applicants in Band order - to Band 1 applicants first, then to Band 2 applicants, then to Band 3 applicants, then to Band 4 applicants. Hence you are most likely to be offered a home if you are placed in Bands 1 or 2. You are less likely to be offered a home if you are placed in Band 3, and even less likely if you are placed in Band 4.
STEP 3: Look at recent lettings
Look at the Lettings Summary.
Look at the sizes of home you will be eligible for. If homes of that size have been allocated to applicants in the Band you think you will be in or a lower Band, then look at the Registration Dates which tell you how long the applicants had been in that Band. Then look at the addresses of the homes. This will give you an indication of how long it might take to be offered a home in a particular area. Look at different types of home and different areas and how many eligible expressions of interest (bids) were received.
You can increase your chances of being offered a home by expressing interest in
- the types of home which have been allocated to applicants in lower Bands and which have received fewer expressions of interest (bids)
- homes in areas where homes have been allocated to applicants in lower Bands and which have received fewer expressions of interest (bids)
However it typically takes applicants in Bands 3 and 4 a long time to be offered a home. Hence you may decide it is not worth applying for social housing. See Finding Somewhere to Live for advice about finding other accommodation. You can also contact the Council's Housing Options service at the Council's Customer Service Centres or by phoning or texting (01283) 508120.
How to apply
To apply for housing you need to complete an application form. You can print the form here. You can get the form and leaflet from:
- the Council's Customer Service Centres
- from Trent & Dove Housing at Horninglow Street, Burton (opposite the Police Station) or Church Street, Uttoxeter
- by calling Trent & Dove Housing on 01283 528528
- by email to enquiries@trentanddove.org
- from Orbit Heart of England at Borough Road, Burton
Please note that you need to submit your completed form to Trent & Dove Housing not to the Council.