Choice-based lettings: how social housing is allocated

If you are homeless or living in unsuitable housing, you may be placed on a council housing waiting list. In most areas, social housing is allocated through a system called choice-based lettings. Here is how it works and what you need to know.

Key facts

• Government figures show 42,640 households in England were owed a relief duty after being assessed as homeless in October to December 2025. Statutory homelessness in England, GOV.UK
• A further 33,630 households were owed a prevention duty after being assessed as threatened with homelessness in the same quarter. Statutory homelessness in England, GOV.UK

What is choice-based lettings?

Choice-based lettings (CBL) is a system used by many councils and housing associations to allocate social housing. Instead of the council directly assigning a property to a household, available properties are advertised online or in local offices, and people on the housing register can express an interest, called "bidding", in the properties they would like.

Each property is typically advertised for a set period, usually one week. At the end of the advertising period, the council considers all the bids and offers the property to the applicant with the highest priority on the waiting list.

Do I have to bid?

In most CBL areas, yes. If you do not bid on properties you are interested in, you may miss out on housing offers even if you have a high priority on the waiting list. Some councils will make a direct offer in certain circumstances, for example, for applicants with specific medical or accessibility needs that only certain properties can meet, but most offers come through the bidding process.

How is priority decided?

Priority is not decided on a first-come-first-served basis. Councils use a banding or points system to reflect different levels of housing need. The factors that affect priority include:

• Whether you are homeless or threatened with homelessness
• The severity and urgency of your housing need
• Medical or disability needs that require adapted housing
• Whether you are currently in overcrowded accommodation
• Whether you have children
• Whether there are safeguarding or safety concerns

Banding and points vary between councils. You will usually be told which band or how many points you have been awarded when you register.

How long will I wait?

Waiting times vary enormously depending on where you live, the size and type of property you need, and your priority banding. In high-demand areas such as London, waiting times for family-sized properties can be very long. In some areas, applicants with lower priority may wait years without receiving an offer.

Your council should be able to give you information about average waiting times for your area and property type.

What if I am homeless?

If you are homeless and the council owes you the main housing duty, you may be placed in temporary accommodation while you wait for a social housing offer. Temporary accommodation is not long-term housing, it is intended as a bridge while a permanent solution is found.

Being in temporary accommodation does not usually affect your place on the waiting list or your ability to bid on properties.

Can I request a review of my banding or priority?

Yes. If you think your banding or priority is wrong, for example, if your medical needs have not been correctly assessed, or if your circumstances have changed, you can ask the council to review its decision.

You usually have a limited time to request a review, so act quickly if you think a decision is wrong.

What if I am in a privately rented home with disrepair?

If you are living in a privately rented home with serious disrepair, this may support an application for increased priority on the housing register. You should tell the council about the disrepair and provide evidence, photographs, correspondence with the landlord, any council inspection reports.

You may also be able to pursue a housing disrepair claim at the same time as seeking social housing. The two routes are not mutually exclusive.

When should I contact Support for Tenants?

If you are in a privately rented home with disrepair and want advice on whether you have a claim, call us.

Call us on 0800 030 4669. No upfront cost. You only pay if you win, and the fee comes out of the compensation, not your pocket. If you don't win, you pay nothing.

Sources

• Housing Act 1996, Part 6 (allocation of housing accommodation) (legislation.gov.uk)