Step 5: The bidding cycle

Before you bid for a property, you must make an application for council housing. Once you have received a letter from us confirming your eligibility, you can start bidding.

After receiving your eligibility letter you can register your account online at My Housing Tenancy. This will allow you to log in to your account and place bids.

A bidding cycle runs from 10.00am on a Thursday until 11:59pm on the following Tuesday. You will not be able to make a bid for a property after this time on a Tuesday.

We use Wednesdays for administration purposes. A new cycle of bidding commences again, for a new batch of properties, at 10.00am the following day.

Log into your account and bid for a property. You can search properties online when you enter your account and you can place your bid on a property you like. You can move your bid during the bidding cycle.

What the property adverts contains 

Here is an example of a property advert you may see on the advertising cycle:

The property advert contains all the details relating to the property. This can include, but is not restricted to:

• age restrictions
• the number of dependants or occupants allowed in a property
• whether a pet is allowed or not
• whether you are working a minimum number of hours

Before you bid, you should take any restrictions noted on the advert into account. If you are able to, visit the area to ensure you are happy to live in that location. 

Tips for bidding

After you successfully apply for council housing and receive an email or letter confirming you are on the waiting list, you are able to bid for available properties through our lettings system. Below are our top tips for making a bid.

Get organised - don’t miss your bid

You are allowed to bid for one property every week. You probably will not be successful straightaway as there are many more people on the housing register than there is housing available. If you make a bid every week, it is likely you will be successful more quickly than you would if you bid less often.

You can bid at any time during the bidding cycle but properties are not allocated on a first-come-first-served basis, so set aside a time to bid each week. Perhaps even set yourself a reminder on your smartphone.

Bid from anywhere

You need to get online to search for properties. We do not publish the list of properties anywhere else. If you have a smartphone, tablet or computer, you can search properties and make your bid at home or on the go.

If you don’t have access to the internet, you can visit a local library.

Your bid is precious - don’t waste it

Remember, you can only make one bid a week. Make sure you understand what types of property you are eligible for and do not waste your bid by choosing a property that does not fit. It is true that the online system will not allow you to bid for properties that you are obviously not eligible for, but it does not cover everything. You are not necessarily eligible for all the properties you can bid for.

Read the advert carefully. If you are the successful bidder and it turns out you are not eligible for the property, we will disregard the bid. You will then have to try again in the next bidding cycle.

Be flexible

Try to be as flexible as possible regarding the properties and areas you would be willing to live in and be realistic about your needs.

If you are open-minded about things like the area you live in, the number of rooms and the floor the property is on, you are more likely to be successful more quickly.

Be sure you would live there - refusing an offer could have consequences

If you refuse an offer that we or the relevant housing association believe to have been reasonable, it may result in you being removed from the housing register altogether. This would mean starting again with a new application for the housing register and a new banding date if your application is successful.

We do not consider it reasonable to refuse a property because you decide you don't like the area.

Do your research

Every month we release figures showing the number of applicants on the waiting list for council housing, broken down by band and bedroom needs. Engaging with this information can help you to set a realistic expectation about how quickly you will be housed.

Bid for a property

You can search properties online when you enter your account. You can place your bid on a property you like. You can move your bid during the bidding cycle.

You can also make an enquiry about an application.

Every applicant needs to register their account in order to bid for a property. You will need to select the link below, which will take you to the registering page.

Register and bid for a property for the first time

If you are having issues with registering, see how to register for the first time.

Sign in and bid for a property

If you are having issues with a password, see how to reset your password.