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.

Unlimited possibilities

Pods component

One of our most versatile components, the Pods components lets you mix and match a variety of pods, all with a range of layout and configuration options.

Accordion Pod

Question 1

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vestibulum ac ligula nibh. Donec egestas mauris dolor, ut porta est viverra ac. Nullam dictum est non nulla ullamcorper, sed fermentum lacus egestas. Vivamus a ligula enim. Praesent bibendum scelerisque mauris ut tristique.

Question 2

Social

No link

Text left of image

Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Subpages

Recipient Email address has not been defined in the CMS.

With link

Text overlay image

No link

Text above image

Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Video

With link

Text below image

Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Alert box — add an alert box style as a pod.

Opening times

Mon — Fri 9am — 10pm

Saturday 8am — 1pm

Sunday 10am — 6pm

With link

Text right of image

Pellentesque habitant morbi tristique senectus et netus et malesuada fames ac turpis egestas.

Newsletter API keys have not been defined in the CMS.

We use uSkinned themes loads at the NHS — they're intuitive and setting them up couldn't be easier.

Hannah Foster, IT, NHS

Secondary heading

Tabbed Pod

Contact Details

Browse

Another alert box — there are four types to choose from.

Glasgow Weather

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.