Bristol Housing Register - how to apply

Bristol Housing Register

Bristol City Council and most housing associations working in the area have joined together to develop a combined application form and register of people needing housing in the city. This is known as the Bristol Housing Register. If you are looking for housing to rent in Bristol you will only have to fill out one application form. There is no charge.

Who can apply?

Anyone can apply to be included on the Bristol Housing Register.

You may not be eligible to be considered for housing if:

a) you are subject to immigration control
b) you have been found guilty of serious unacceptable behaviour
c) you are under 16 years of age

How can I apply?

You can access the Housing register form in any of the following ways:

• Complete an online application form
• Phone or write to us and we will send you a paper copy
• Complete an online contact form if you would like a copy sent to you in the post

When you make your application you will need to provide proof of identity for yourself and the joint applicant, if there is one. Please supply us with one of the following for yourself and the joint applicant. If you are unable to provide one of these four please contact us to discuss alternatives.

• Passport
• Home Office Travel Document
• Photo Drivers Licence
• Birth Certificate

If there are any children on your application you will need to provide either of the following options for each one:

• Child Benefit award letter (must include all children's names and dates of birth)
• Birth certificate for each child and proof that Child Benefit is being paid into your bank account

In some cases we may also need other information or evidence in order to process your application or assess your priority for housing.

What happens next?

• If a home visit is necessary, a member of staff will arrange to visit you.
• Your application will be placed into one of five bands, the highest being Band 1 and the lowest Band 5. Applications will be considered in date order within each band.
• You will be contacted with details of what band your application has been assessed into.
• Once your application has been assessed and placed into the appropriate band, you will be able to start bidding for properties advertised through HomeChoice Bristol.

What is HomeChoice Bristol?

HomeChoice Bristol is the name of the scheme that Bristol City Council and partner Housing Associations within the city use to allocate their properties.  All properties are advertised and people on the housing register who qualify for that size of property can then express an interest in properties they wish to be considered for.  This is called placing a “bid”.  For more information about HomeChoice Bristol and the bidding process, please visit the HomeChoice Bristol web site.

What happens if my bid is successful?

If you make a successful bid and receive an offer of accommodation, you will need to provide the following documents:

• Identification for all adults listed on the application
• Proof of address for all adults on the application
• Proof of receipt of Child Benefit for all dependant children on the application
• Proof of pregnancy - if applicable

If applicable, you will also need to provide evidence of your continued eligibility. If you fail to provide the required documents in the time specified by the landlord, this may result in the offer of accommodation being withdrawn.

Our Housing Allocation Scheme

Your application will be assessed into one of five bands, depending on your housing need. For more information on how bands are awarded please read the HomeChoice Bristol - introduction and how to apply leaflet (pdf, 2.1 MB).

You can also download a copy of the council's Housing Allocation Scheme (pdf, 177 KB) which gives further information about the banding system.

Under Occupation Scheme

The Under Occupation Scheme is an incentive scheme for people who are moving from large social housing tenancies, and downsizing by at least one bedroom. The scheme concentrates on moving people from four plus bedroom properties, but will consider some help to people moving from three bedroom properties. If you would like more information, please contact Debbie Freeman 0117 352 1635.

You can also download a copy of our Under Occupation Policy (pdf, 13 KB).

Renting a property from Housing Associations

Housing Associations provide accommodation for people who need a home but cannot afford to buy or rent privately. Housing Associations (also called registered social landlords) are generally non-profit making organisations. The size, type and location of properties varies from one association to another.

Some associations are quite small, with only a few flats or houses. Others are much bigger with many different types of housing.

Each housing association will have been set up to provide homes for a particular group of people. Some provide housing for people in housing need and others provide accommodation specifically for a particular group e.g. for older people. Some housing associations provide housing and support for people who need support or assistance to help them set up their home or to live independently.

Partners

For a list of our partners please visit the HomeChoice Bristol website.

Contact us

For more information about the Housing Register and other housing advice, contact the Rehousing service.

Our seven Customer Service Points can also give advice.  Appointments to discuss more complex rehousing queries with a Rehousing Advisor are available at each Customer Service Point.