Housing register
The council operates a choice-based let tings register for social and affordable homes provided by housing associations across the district. This scheme is called Chichester Homemove (opens new window). It gives households the choice of where they would like to live, provided they are eligible to join the register.
The housing register may not be an option for everyone, and a home in the private rented sector may well be more suitable.
- Eligibility
- How priority is assessed
- How long is the wait to find somewhere to live?
- What to expect after completing an application
- Bidding process
- Short listing
- Make a housing register application
Eligibility
As the availability of homes is limited, eligibility criteria must be met by the household to the council's housing register.
A brief summary of the eligibility criteria
- Applicant must be at least 18 years of age.
- Have a right to live in the UK.
- Have a local connection to the district, as detailed in the allocation policy.
A brief summary of the reasons why someone may not qualify
There are reasons as to why someone may not qualify to join the housing register.
- The applicant already has a council or housing association tenancy, where their property meets their household's needs and size.
- The applicant owns a residential property.
- The applicant is deemed to have sufficient income/and or savings to secure alternative housing.
There are exceptions to the eligibility and qualification criteria.
We advise you to view the Housing Allocation Scheme Feb 2025 (Word doc, 249 KB) before making an application to join the register.
How priority is assessed
Once it has been identified that a household is eligible to join the register, their need for housing is assessed in accordance with the allocation policy. The council must do this as housing availability is limited.
The council assigns households into one of the four priority ban dings.
Priority bandings
- Band A: Emergency need
- Band B: Very high / high need
- Band : Medium / low need
- Band D: No housing need
How long is the wait to find somewhere to live?
As we operate a choice-based let tings scheme, the waiting time to find a home can vary depending on the following:
- Your housing needs.
- How long you have been on the register.
- The area of the homes you place a bid on.
- How often you make a bid.
What to expect after completing an application
Once you have made an application, it will be assigned to an officer and you will be contacted within 30 working days of it being received. You will be expected to provide supporting documents. The sooner you provide these documents, the quicker your application can be assessed. You can login to your account to upload documentation.
The council will actively contact you when there is an update on your application.
We will aim to respond to any questions you may have and keep you updated throughout this process.
If you are not eligible or do not qualify to join the housing register
You will be notified if you are not eligible or do not qualify to join the register, as well as the reasons for this. These decisions are made in line with the council's Housing Allocation Policy.
Home swap (mutual exchange)
If you are already a council or housing association tenant, and have no housing need as stated in the allocations policy, a home swap might be an option for you. A home swap is where two or more social housing tenants agree to swap homes with one another.
Both tenants wanting to house swap must have the written permission from their landlord before agreeing to move. You should not move before both landlords have agreed to the home swap.
Home swap web sites:
What to expect If you are eligible and qualify to join the housing register
Your application will be accepted, and you will be provided with access to the council's choice-based let tings system (Chichester Home move).
Bidding process
Homes are advertised each week (sometimes appearing daily) and are available to bid on for 1 week from the day they are advertised. The council works with registered providers of social housing (RP's, also known as housing associations) to advertise homes across the district.
A household is allocated a maximum of 3 bids each bidding cycle, which runs from Monday to Sunday each week. You will only be able to bid on homes that match your household size and need. 1 bid is required per home. If you do not bid on a home, you will not be considered, regardless of your priority banding or how long you have been on the housing register.
You can bid on homes via the online Chichester Home move Portal. If you need help bidding, please contact the Housing Team on housingadvice@chichester.gov.uk or 01243 534734.
Short listing
For the week that a property is live and open for bidding, you will be able to place a bid for a property and see where you are placing (please note, this may change as new bids come in from other customers). Bids placed on each home are positioned in priority order.
You can remove your bid for a property before the property advert concludes, and if you wish place a new bid on a separate property.
Housing associations are obliged to offer a viewing and first refusal of the property to the bidder with the highest assessed need (unless special restrictions or conditions apply which may rule them out of consideration). You will hear directly from the prospective landlord if you have been successfully selected for a property.
If a customer subsequently refuses a property, the next customer on the priority list will be short listed and contacted directly from the prospective landlord as stated above.
Make a housing register application
When you log into your account, you can make an application or submit a change of circumstances.
Make a housing register application (opens new window)
Contact us
For more information and advice, email housingadvice@chichester.gov.uk. Alternatively, you can phone 01243 534734.
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