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Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a Livin home?

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 Durham County 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.

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 Durham Key Options.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through the Compass Choice Based Lettings scheme in Teesside; Compass is similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for this scheme. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly with Compass.

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.

More FAQ's

Money Support

From budgeting and benefits to insurance and energy advice. We can help you make the most out of your money by providing expert financial support.

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Latest benefit support and guidance

Keep up to date with the latest support available, which could benefit you.

Employment and benefits support Employment and benefits support

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Worried about your job?

The government job retention scheme has been extended. The latest details can be found on the government website.

Job support scheme Job support scheme

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Self-employed and struggling?

The government‘s self-employment support scheme has been further extended.

Self-employment support scheme Self-employment support scheme

Keep warm this winter

If you are worried about paying for your gas or electric, or you want to make sure you are on the best rate, we can help.

We work with specialist energy advisers who can help with fuel debt and check you are on the best possible energy tariff. They can also see if you qualify for extra support such as the Warm Homes Discount scheme.

Get in touch and we can arrange for an energy adviser to give you a call.

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Budgeting

Get help with budgeting Get help with budgeting

We can help you plan your income and expenditure to make sure you have it covered.

In debt?

Request debt support Request debt support

We can help you access and receive specialist advice on debt support.

Benefit support

Request benefits support Request benefits support

We can help you deal with your benefit questions and problems.

Working and training support

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If you have lost your job, have had a reduction in your hours or are unemployed, we can help.

Former tenants advice

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We can provide you with assistance and support for paying off debt relating to a former tenancy.

Fuel advice

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If you believe that you are paying too much on your fuel bills, we can help.

Ways we're helping you

You may think getting in touch with us to talk about your money and your rent will not help. But it really doesn't take much to get your money back on track. See the people we have already helped and how we did this.

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