Supporting Sustainable Tenancies

We aim to offer services and support to empower our tenants living in comfortable and manageable homes in sustainable communities.

Here’s how we are doing…

Performance measures

Key stats

Supporting Sustainable Tenancies – The year in review

Working with our partners, our Money support team helped you maximise your income, build financial confidence and reduce problem debt. Over 340 tenants reduced their rent arrears. We secured £2.21 million in welfare benefits, grants and affordable credit for 540 tenants, helping to ease financial pressures.

We continue to build high quality homes to meet your needs, delivering more than 70 new homes this year. We also completed over 950 aids and adaptations, helping people with additional needs live safely and independently.

We carried out more than 4,800 tenancy visits. These give us the chance to check in with you, make sure we have up to date information and understand what support you might need. Where needed, we work with other organisations to connect you with the right help.

We listened, we acted

We listened  (Cost of living InsighXchange scrutiny)
You told us money support needed to be easier to understand, more visible in communities, and provide longer term support to build confidence.

We acted 
We renamed Financial Inclusion Advisers to Money Support Advisers to make their role clearer. We also worked with customers to redesign our service, introducing budgeting support, long term coaching, and advice through trusted partners.

We listened, we acted

We listened (Targeted customer survey- third party authorisation)
You told us it was not always clear what authorised third parties can do, and that he process could be simpler and more flexible. You also said more awareness of available support was needed.

We acted 
We improved guidance, so you and your representatives understand what support is available. We expanded application options, introduced home visits, and improved awareness of additional support, including our Occupational Therapist services.

Positive Feedback

It’s not just about improving; it’s about celebrating what works well too. Here’s some of your positive feedback:

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

Supporting Balanced and Sustainable Communities

Supporting Sustainable Tenancies

Providing Quality Sustainable Homes

Building and Acquiring Sustainable Homes

Maximising the Talent and Contribution of our People

Maintaining Strong Finances

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.