General Questions

How do I get a Council or Registered Provider property?

You need to be accepted on to the Dacorum Borough Council Housing Register - this register is now run solely through this Moving with Dacorum website.
For more details on how to apply read the ‘How to Use this Service’ section.

What is the difference between a Council and a Registered Provider property?

Council properties are owned and managed by Dacorum Borough Council. The Council is the landlord.
Registered Providers (usually called Housing Associations) also provide affordable homes. The rents and terms are broadly similar and you bid for properties in the same way. The main difference is that the Registered Provider owns and manages the property and is the landlord.

When I try to register it says my National Insurance Number is already registered. What do I do?

This happens if we already have a record of you on our housing register.
Please go to log in and select ‘I have forgotten my login reference’ to receive an email to resolve this problem.
If this still does not work, please contact us by emailing Housingneeds.Mailbox@dacorum.gov.uk or calling 01442 228000 and asking for ‘Housing Needs’.

Can I still apply if I don’t have a passport?

Yes, but you must produce some form of photographic ID or a birth certificate to verify your identity and eligibility for social housing.
If you do not have photographic ID at the time of application, we recommend that you apply for one as soon as possible to avoid delays further down the process. (Without ID you will be overlooked on properties.)
Documents we can accept as photo ID are:
- Drivers Licence
We cannot accept:
- Work passes
- Club membership

Can I remove my application from the housing register?

Yes - if you contact the Housing Needs Team online or by telephone and ask us to close your application, the team will arrange this for you.
To make sure that the request is genuine, we will write to you at the address on your housing application to confirm this.

Can I downsize from a three-bed to a two-bed home if I live alone?

Yes, mutual exchange allows one extra bedroom.
You can register your own home and look for other tenants wishing to exchange at www.houseexchange.org.uk
If you are a Dacorum Borough Council tenant who would like to move to a smaller home (downsize) you can apply for a transfer with www.movingwithdacorum.org.uk
You an find our Moving to a smaller home leaflet here

Where can I find details of available homes?

Properties are advertised each week on the Moving with Dacorum website.
Properties that you are eligible for can be viewed on your My Account page.
You can also search all properties through the Property Search page.
If you are applying for supported housing (bungalows and sheltered schemes for older people) but you don’t have internet access, you can ask for a paper copy of the list.
You can collect your copy of the supported housing list at Dacorum Borough Council offices in Hemel Hempstead, Tring and Berkhamsted.
In certain circumstances, such as severely restricted mobility, you can ask for the supported housing property list to be sent to you by post.

Can my son and daughter share a bedroom?

Yes until the age of ten
You can find more information about the government bedroom standards and overcrowding in the Housing Act 1985 or on the Shelter website

How long will it take for my application to be assessed?

Once you have submitted your fully completed application, it should take no more than 28 days to be assessed.
If your application has missing documents or information, this will cause delays.

I have been nominated for a property - what does this mean?

If you are nominated for a property, this means the Council sends your information to the Registered Provider (usually a Housing Association), that is the landlord of the property you have bid on.
The Registered Provider will carry out its own checks, and affordability assessment.
If you pass their verification process and checks, the Registered Provider will contact you to offer you the accommodation. They will then be responsible for the lettings process.
If the Registered Provider refuses your nomination, they will notify the Council’s Housing Allocations team.

What are ‘Social Rents’?

Social rents for properties have been agreed based on a formula set by government. This creates a ‘formula rent’ for each property, which is calculated based on the relative value of the property, local income levels, and the size of the property.
An aim of this formula-based approach is to ensure that similar rents are charged for similar social rent properties.

What are ‘Affordable Rents’?

In 2011, the government introduced affordable rent. This allows rents that are inclusive of service charges to be set at up to 80% of market rent.
Property size, location type and service provision must be taken into account when deciding what gross market rent a property might achieve if let in the private rented sector.
These properties are still defined as social housing, but the rents are usually higher than Council rents.

Why has my rent increased?

The government announced its intention to set a long-term rent deal for both local authority landlords (councils that own their own housing stock) and housing associations (Registered Providers).
This would permit annual rent increases on both social rent and affordable rent properties of up to Consumer price inflation (CPI) plus one percentage point from 2020, for a period of at least five years. (Gov.uk)
More information about the Council’s rent and service charges setting can be found in our Rents and other charges policy.

No. A child is not part of the household if:
- The applicant has staying contact with the child for less than 50% of the time
In the case of equal contact time, the property would need to be considered the child’s main or principal home.

If you hold responsibility for residency of a child through a court decision, the child is immediately considered part of the household.
Residency arrangements agreed by parents require the applicant to provide supporting evidence of the arrangement, including evidence that the child has been living as part of their household for a minimum of six months and any documents required by Housing Benefit to support this claim.

Yes, once you reach the age of 60, supported housing properties will be available to you.

Supported Housing is normally advertised only for applicants aged 60+. On some occasions, the age requirement is lowered to 55 or 50, so you would be able to bid on these properties.