Look for a council home

In Rotherham, we allocate social rented homes through a choices-based letting scheme.

Before you are able to look and bid for a Council or Housing Association home, you will need to submit an application to join Rotherham’s Housing Register. If you qualify to go on the housing register, then you can show your interest in advertised properties.

Qualifying for the housing register 

To qualify to go on Rotherham’s housing register you must:

• be aged 16 years or older
• have had a connection to Rotherham for at least three years (either by living in Rotherham for the past three years continuously, employed in Rotherham for the past three years continuously or have a close family member who has lived in Rotherham for the past three years continuously)
• be in housing need
• not owe over £800 to the Council, a private landlord or housing association for current or former rent arrears
• have not been evicted from a Council tenancy in the last five years

How to join the housing register

If you believe that you meet the eligibility criteria, then you will need to make an application on Housing Online. If you do not have access to a computer at home, you can use a computer for free at your local library. 

Join the housing register

Once you have made your application, you will need to upload the required documents below:

• proof of identity for everyone to be rehoused including children (passport, birth certificate, or driving licence)
• proof of income (such as one month’s full bank statement, pay slips, benefit award letters)
• proof of current address (such as a bank statement, or recent gas or electricity bill)
• details of your address history for the past five years
• proof of your local connection to Rotherham (such as proof of your address history dating back at least three years)
• evidence of your right to live in the UK (passport or document from the Home Officer)
• if you are pregnant, proof of your pregnancy (MATB1)
• if you have children living with you, we will need to see proof of Child Benefit

Without these documents, we are unable to process your application. Once you have completed your housing application and uploaded all the required supporting documents onto your online account, please call us on 01709 336009 to arrange a telephone pre-tenancy appointment to verify your application. A pre-tenancy appointment is completed over the telephone to assess your housing application in accordance with the Council’s Housing Allocation Policy.