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.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

As a landlord and an employer, we provide services and offer employment opportunities equally to everyone.

We are committed to treating customers fairly regardless of race, ethnic origin or nationality, religion or belief, disability (whether mental or physical), age, sex, marital or family status, sexual orientation, or transgender status, and we recognise the benefits of employing a diverse workforce.

We carry out Equality Impact Assessments to assess the impact our services, procedures, projects, policies, functions and decisions might have on different groups of people.

Read the full Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy or our summarised version.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

Our Legislative and Regulatory Responsibilities

We must meet the responsibilities set out in the Equality Act 2010, Public Sector Equality Duty and Regulatory Standards.

View our responsibilities

Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Policy

We have set out our principles, values, and commitments to EDI in a policy ensuring compliance with relevant legislation and promoting good practice. Our Policy is reviewed in every three years and is developed in consultation with customers.

We have also set out our planned EDI interventions from 2022-2025, which will help us deliver equality of access to our services, respond to the diverse needs of our communities and maximise inclusion for all.

View our full policy

If required a full translation service can be provided upon request.

Any feedback or complaint relating to discrimination or unfair treatment during service delivery will be handled in accordance with our Procedure for Handling Customer Complaints and Feedback.

If you would like more information about our approach to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, or would like to tell us about your experiences, please contact us.

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.