Welcome!
This is the choice based lettings scheme for Lambeth Council homes and for housing association rented properties in Lambeth. We advertise Council and Housing Association homes which are available to let each week, and you "bid" for homes that you are interested in.
To place bids you will need to be on Lambeth Council's housing register (often called the housing waiting list), and log on using your bidding number and Personal Identification Number (PIN). You can bid using the website or the Home Connections smartphone app.
Joining the housing register
If you are not on the housing register, details of how to apply are here:
For existing Lambeth Council tenants: https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/council-tenants-and-homeowners/tenants/apply-to-join-the-housing-transfer-list
For all other housing applicants: https://www.lambeth.gov.uk/housing/finding-a-home/apply-for-social-housing
When to bid
New advertisements appear on Wednesday showing the week’s available properties. You then have until midnight on the following Sunday to bid for a property. There is no advantage to bidding as soon as the adverts are available. A bid made on Wednesday is treated in the same way as one made on Sunday evening.
Bidding is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays so we can receive the lists of everyone who bid for a property during the previous week. We will make a shortlist of the top bidders for each property and invite them to view the property.
How to log on
Log on to the website or smartphone app using your bidding number (also called your housing reference number) and your PIN.
Your bidding number is an 8-digit number. If your bidding number has less than 8 digits then add zeros at the start to make it 8 digits. For example, if your bidding number is 12345 then log on using 00012345.
Your default PIN is normally your date of birth expressed as a 6-digit number. For example, if your date of birth is 20 July 1969 then your PIN is 200769.
Before you place a bid
Please read the advertisement carefully before bidding.
Check you are happy with the location, floor level, whether there is a lift, number of bedrooms and size of the property. Check if there are any restrictions set out in the advertisement text, for instance, if there is a minimum age limit, medical criteria or if there is a restriction on the size of household that can apply. If you have a disability, then please note any comments in the advertisement regarding access, such as entrance steps or whether the property has a lift.
You can bid for more than one property each week but you will only be shortlisted for one property at a time, so please ensure that you would be equally prepared to accept all properties you bid for, as you will have no choice regarding which property you may be shortlisted for.
When you bid for a property you are expressing a serious interest to be offered a property, so please only bid for properties that you would be prepared to accept if offered. If you bid for a property that you know you would not accept if offered, then you have wasted your bid.
Property Sizes
The Bedroom/Bedspaces figure for a property tells you both the number of bedrooms and the size of these rooms. A double room is 2 bedspaces, and a single room is 1 bedspace. So, a property described as 3/4 means it has 3 bedrooms and 4 bedspaces, which means it has one double and two single bedrooms. If you want to, you can accept a Council property that has fewer bedspaces than the number of people in your family, but some Housing Associations will not accept households larger than the number of bedspaces.
You can bid for properties of your allowed property size and one bedroom fewer. For instance, if you are able to bid for 3-bed properties then you can bid for both 3-bed and 2-bed properties. Those requiring 6-bedroom or larger can bid for properties with two fewer bedrooms. This applies to Council properties, but some Housing Associations may not accept bids for properties that are smaller than you need.
Shortlisting and Being Invited to View a Property
We short-list up to five people to view each property. If you are short-listed, then we will contact you by phone to arrange a viewing. Viewings are at short notice, so it is very important that we have your correct phone number so we can contact you. You may miss out on a viewing if we are unable to contact you in time. If you change your telephone number, please let the Lambeth Service Centre know by phoning them on 020 7926 4200.
You may be invited to view a property at the same time as other bidders. We will indicate to you which of you has first refusal, second refusal, and so on. Properties are advertised as soon as the property is vacated, so there may still be works being done to the property to make it ready for letting when you view it.
Please note that if you are successful in bidding for a property we may invite you to attend an interview and may visit your home to verify your circumstances and eligibility. If your circumstances have changed, or the details on your application form are not correct, or a mistake has been made assessing your application, this may result in your band being reduced, in which case you may not be offered the tenancy. You are advised not to give notice on your current home or incur any expenses, such as buying new furniture, until you have actually signed the tenancy agreement for your new home.
Although there is no penalty for turning down a property after viewing it, please consider it very carefully before refusing it. If you change your mind later it will be too late, as the property will have been offered to someone else who wanted it, someone who has lower priority than you!
If you are invited to view a property, please make sure that you bring some personal identification with you.