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.

New Model Of Shared Ownership

This government scheme is for those who are renting a new home delivered throughout the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026.

This means if you have rented a brand-new home from us since April 2022, and that home was built using grant funding from the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-2026, you may have the right to shared ownership. Your Housing Advisor will have discussed this with you when you signed your tenancy agreement.

How does it work?

Shared ownership is a more affordable way to buy your own home. Under the new model, you buy an initial percentage of the home, between 10% and 75%, and pay a reduced rent on the rest of the value. You can then buy more of the property when you can afford it; this is called “staircasing”.

What's different about the new model?

The new model of shared ownership is quite different to traditional shared ownership:

The minimum initial stake has been reduced from 25% to 10%
An ability to staircase in 1% increments will apply
A new 10-year period during which providers must support shared owners with the cost of repairs and maintenance has been introduced
The introduction of standard 990-year leases on all new shared ownership homes
For more information on the new model for shared ownership, get in touch.

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.