Apply for social housing

Social Housing including council housing

The council owns just over 3,000 properties in Thanet.  These are managed by East Kent Housing, an organisation that performs landlord duties for Thanet, Canterbury, Dover, and Shepway councils.

Other properties are available to rent at lower cost than market rent from various housing associations and other registered housing providers.  There are approximately 4,000 of this type of home in Thanet today.

If you are over the age of 55, sheltered housing is available from various housing associations.  You will need to be on the council’s Housing Register to be able to apply.

Register first

To apply for any of these homes, you must be on Thanet Council’s Housing Register.

Rent privately instead

Unless you have a housing need with high priority, you may be waiting some time on the Housing Register before you make a successful bid for housing.  You may prefer to rent privately.  Find information about renting in the private sector.

Kent Homechoice – Choice Based Lettings

If you have been accepted onto the Housing Register, you will be eligible to see and bid for available social housing properties using Kent Homechoice.

Kent Homechoice gives you more choice about where you want to live. You have the chance to express an interest in vacant homes that are suitable for you. It also gives you a better idea of the properties available in your area.

Kent Homechoice will advertise empty council and housing association homes daily that are available to let. Properties will be advertised on the internet and via digital television. You can look at the adverts and bid for any homes you wish to be considered for providing you are eligible.

Please note, we will only contact successful applicants when an offer is to be made and if you hear nothing you must assume you have not been successful at this time.  Unfortunately, officers within the housing options team do not have the resources to notify you if you are not successful.

We will provide feedback on previous properties that have been advertised so you will be able to see the band that the successful bidder for each property was in and length of time the applicant had been in that priority band.  Please be aware that Local Lettings Plans may apply on some developments.

Where there are no expressions of interest from eligible applicants, a property will be re-advertised or a direct let will be considered.

Have you moved home?  Gained or lost a member of your household?

All applications for social housing must be made online.  Paper application forms are no longer available.  You must also tell us if you move address, or if your circumstances change using the main online application form.

• Go to the Kent Homechoice web site and the online housing application form

Use this form to tell us about a new baby.

Download a Birth of a baby notification form (PDF 32kb)

Please note that any details you give on your application form may be shared with a number of Housing Associations that we work with as partners.

If I obtain a letter from my doctor saying I need to move because of a medical condition or disability will I get extra priority?

If you have a medical condition or disability, which is being made worse by your current accommodation, you may be awarded higher priority on the Housing Register.

We would ask you to complete a Self-Certification Medical Form and supply, where possible, any supporting medical information to assist us with an assessment.

Housing allocations policy

Thanet Council adopted a Housing allocation policy  Applicants will have to meet new eligibility criteria to be accepted onto the Housing Register

Who is eligible?

Under our Allocations Policy you will only be eligible to be on the Housing Register if you have a specific housing need. The definition of housing need is specific and includes criteria relating to overcrowding, under-occupation living in unsanitary housing conditions or having serious medical and/or welfare needs and does not include experiencing financial difficulty.

In addition to having a specific housing need you will only be eligible to be on the Housing Register if you meet all of the following criteria;

• You are a current resident of Thanet and have been living within the area for a continuous period of at least 3 years (if temporarily residing outside the area you will only be considered if your principal home was in Thanet prior to moving and have been resident in the area for 3 of the last 5 years).
• You are a person who is 18 or over (unless 16 or 17 and eligible under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (As amended 2002).
• Your current home is your only home, or sole residence.
• You are not subject to immigration control.
• You or another member of your household have not been convicted of any offence that deems your/their behaviour serious enough to make you/them an unsuitable tenant, or been guilty of unacceptable behaviour in former tenancies serious enough to make you an unsuitable tenant.
• You have not voluntarily worsened your housing circumstances by moving from accommodation that was more suitable than the accommodation you have moved to and which was reasonable for you to continue to occupy.
• You will not have current arrears with a social landlord or be failing to maintain a payment arrangement to clear these arrears. (Cases that are subject to welfare reform that are in rent arrears will be considered on their own merit based on personal circumstances).
• You will not have received an outright possession order or have an outstanding debt from a previous social landlord. (Excluding debts which are statute barred).
• You will not earn a salary which places you into a high or additional rate tax band.
• You will not have savings or assets in excess of £16k.
• You do not own a home. If you do, you will only be considered for social housing if you have a substantial reason to move, such as specific or specialist accommodation being required due to a change in circumstances.

Please note: If you do not meet the above criteria you will not be considered for social housing in Thanet and therefore should not apply.

Priority

Once your application is verified, you will be placed into one of four priority ‘Bands’ A, B, C or D dependent on the level of housing need and your circumstances.