Durham County Council has changed the Council Tax Reduction Scheme. From 1 April 2026, all working‑age residents will need to contribute towards their Council Tax.

We want to make sure you have the right advice and support. If you’re unsure how these changes might affect you, or what to do next, please contact Durham County Council on 03000 262 0000.

Contributing to a Sustainable Future

Our goal is to have environmentally sustainable communities for generations to come and to provide low energy homes for our customers.
Here’s how we are doing…

Performance Measures

8,555 Properties achieving SAP Band C (target 8,763)

72.98 Average SAP score of all Livin properties (target 73)

Key Stats

1,121 Homes received energy efficiency works

Over 1,400m2 of open space used for re-wilding including wild-flower meadow and tree planting

19 New trees planted jointly with partners across our communities

Sustainable futures – The year in review

As part of our commitment to embracing new technology to further reduce customers’ fuel bills we fitted 600 homes with intelligent thermostatic radiator valves. We also fitted 300 homes with Airex smart airbricks technology which will create warmer homes and lower emissions by reducing heat loss and energy use. We have also installed PV solar panels to another 200 homes, providing customers with access to sustainable energy and reduced fuel bills.
During the year 845 properties have an improved energy efficiency rating from SAP band D to SAP band C.

Local offer
We are committed to providing you with safe, warm, high-quality and energy-efficient homes. To meet this commitment, 1,121 homes have received energy efficiency improvements during 2024/25.

Have you read our summarised policies?

We have summarised our customer policies to make them accessible and easy to read.

Summarised Customer Policies

Consistently Delivering Excellent Customer Experience and Digital Services

Contributing to a Sustainable Future

Supporting Balanced and Sustainable Communities

Supporting Sustainable Tenancies

Providing Quality Sustainable Homes

Building and Acquiring Sustainable Homes

Finance

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

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

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.