Eligibility for property types and sizes

A property that has no more than one bedroom which may be suitable for a person living alone or a couple living together as partners.

This could be a bedsit (for single people only) or a one-bedroom flat or house (for single people or couples).  

A property with two or more bedrooms which is suitable for families with dependent children. This could include a house, flat or maisonette with two or more bedrooms.

Family houses will normally only be allocated to families that have dependent children under the age of 16 living with them, and it is their children’s main and only home.

In cases where parents have joint access to children or where parents have equal residency, bedroom eligibility will be awarded to the parent in receipt of Child Benefit.

We will take into consideration both parents’ housing arrangements to ensure that one property has adequate accommodation for the children.

This does not prohibit the other parent from maintaining their usual and agreed access to the children, but they may have to accept an element of overcrowding.

For the purposes of the Home Options policy, the following groups of applicants are classed as overcrowded:  

• child or children sharing with a parent  
• cohabiting couple who share a bedsit  
• adults over the age of 18 that are not a couple and are not siblings sharing a bedroom  
• children of the opposite sex sharing a bedroom, where at least one child is over seven years  
• two children of the same sex sharing a bedroom, one of which is aged ten years or older - and there is an age gap of five years or more  

We define larger households as households that require four or more bedrooms.

There is a very limited supply of properties with four or more bedrooms. Larger families are therefore encouraged to bid for larger three-bedroom properties including parlour-type properties, which have an additional downstairs room that may be used as an additional bedroom.

Larger households rehoused through Home Options may have to accept a limited degree of overcrowding, including cases that would normally be considered as overcrowding within the terms of the Home Options policy. They will not qualify to reregister for two years unless there is a significant change in their circumstances.

Due to the limited supply of social housing with four or more bedrooms, alternative housing options should be considered by applicants requiring this size of property.  

Where properties have been built or adapted to meet the particular needs of tenants with disabilities, details of those adaptations will be set out when the properties are advertised.

Due to the limited supply of adapted properties, preference will be given to households who require the adaptations, irrespective of banding.

Accommodation that is designated for applicants over the age of 60. This could include bedsits, flats or bungalows.

Bungalows will normally be allocated to: 

• applicants over the age of 60
• disabled persons (regardless of age) where the disability is physical in nature and affects the person’s mobility to a considerable extent

The applicant must be claiming high-rate disability living allowance for mobility (or be in receipt of enhanced rate PIP) and receive these awards indefinitely.