Renting

Once accepted, applicants can ‘bid’ (express an interest) for properties that are advertised on the DKO website: durhamkeyoptions.co.uk

New properties are added each day between Tuesday and Saturday for a period of six days. Once the advert closes, the applicant who is at the top of the shortlist is asked if they would like to accept the property. We then complete our final checks and also see if this home would be affordable for them. Once the repairs to the property have been completed, the successful person will be invited to view and sign up for the property.

Your need and eligibility for a particular affordable housing property will be determined during the registration with Durham Key Options, so it’s important that you provide relevant information about your circumstances to find the right home.

Depending on your reason for moving home, Durham Key Options may need you to provide extra evidence to support any priority banding you may be awarded.

You can find more information about the priority bands that can be awarded and how you would qualify for each in the DKO Letting Policy – Durham Key Options.

Applying for a home with believe housing is a straightforward process. First, make sure that you have your National Insurance number, proof of your identity, and your address handy.

You’ll then need to visit the Durham Key Options website to fill in an application form – it will take around 45 minutes.

You will also be asked to provide information about you and your current home, any assistance you may need, and which housing association you’re looking to register with for affordable housing – in this case, believe housing.

The documentation that you will need to complete the application is:

• proof of ID – one of the following: birth certificate, passport, driving licence, or NHS medical card
• proof of address – one of the following; utility bill, bank statement dated within three months
• six years’ housing history, including any previous landlord’s details (name, address, contact details)
• full name and date of birth of other household members
• national Insurance number for main and any joint applicants.

Applications are assessed for the level of housing need and placed in one of the property bands. Band 1 is the high priority and Band 4 is the lowest priority. This applies to all applications received across the Durham Key Options partnership, not just believe housing applications.

You can ask us to review a decision we have made about your housing application in certain situations.

When you can appeal

You may be able to appeal if:

• we decide you are not eligible or do not qualify to join the housing register due to unacceptable behaviour
• we remove you from the register (unless you asked us to do this)
• you feel you have been treated unfairly during the lettings process. This could include:
  • the band you have been awarded
  • a housing offer
  • being skipped when you were next in line for a property.

Please note: if you are statutorily homeless and are asking for a review of a housing offer, this will be handled by the local council under section 202 of the Housing Act 1996, not through this appeal process.

Time limits for appeals

You must submit your appeal within 28 days of the date on our decision letter.

If you did not receive the letter, we will assume you have received it if it has been available to collect from our offices for a reasonable period. This follows section 160ZA of the Housing Act 1996.

The appeal process

Stage 1 appeal
If you ask to appeal, we will request that you:

• complete a Customer Appeal Form
• provide any supporting evidence.

You should return this information to the team who made the original decision within 14 days of the decision date.

Your appeal will be reviewed by a manager who was not involved in the original decision.

We will write to you with our decision and the reasons for it within six weeks of receiving your appeal.

Stage 2 appeal
If you are not satisfied with the Stage 1 decision, you can ask for a further review.

At this stage, you may submit:

• a new Customer Appeal Form
• any additional information or evidence.

Your appeal will be considered by the Strategy and Delivery Manager within the council’s Planning and Housing Service.

We will confirm the outcome in writing within 21 days of receiving your Stage 2 appeal.

After the final decision

The Stage 2 decision is the final stage of the DKO appeal process.

If you are still unhappy with the outcome, you can contact the Housing Ombudsman:

• Telephone 0300 111 3000
• Email info@housing-ombudsman.org.uk

We will also let you know if you have the right to appeal to the county court on a point of law. If this applies, you must submit your appeal within 21 days.

Other local authority areas operate similar schemes in their areas and you can apply for houses outside of County Durham, including:

Sunderland: To apply for a Sunderland Council Housing Service home you must be active on the Council Housing Register. To apply you must complete the housing application form.

Tees Valley: TVLP – Affordable Homes (teesvalleyhomefinder.org)

Hartlepool: Home – Hartlepool (hartlepoolhomesearch.co.uk)

Darlington: Darlington BC – Finding a home

A shared tenancy allows two people to live together, each with their own separate tenancy agreement while sharing living costs like rent, utilities, council tax, and other bills. This option makes it easier to split expenses, helping you save on monthly payments.

Whether you’re considering sharing a two-bedroom flat with a friend, family member, or someone else, please get in touch. We offer shared tenancies in various locations, so simply let us know where you’d like to live, and we’ll find available properties for you.

Please note, shared tenancies are subject to availability and approval. We may refuse access if we believe the tenancy is unsuitable. To qualify, applicants must be registered with Durham Key Options (DKO).