Frequently asked questions

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.

More FAQ's

Home Condition Surveys

We’ll carry out a home survey every five years to make sure your home continues to be of high quality, is safe, well-maintained and energy efficient.

Why we carry out home condition surveys

These surveys allow us to identify any repairs, improvements, or safety issues that may need attention.

We have a team of qualified surveyors who conduct these inspections, and we also work closely with our trusted partner, Homesite, who carry out surveys on our behalf.

Homesite Homesite

Two weeks before your home condition survey, we’ll get in touch to confirm the date and time of your appointment, here's what happens next.

1. We will send you an appointment reminder the day before your home condition survey to make sure you'll be home when we arrive. You must let us know if you cannot make your appointment.

2. Our surveyor will arrive at your home. All of our inspectors have ID badges, please feel free to request to see this before they enter your home.

3. The inspection is visual, we won’t move any of your belongings. We’ll visit each room including your kitchen and bathroom and also the loft.

4. Your inspector will also check for any signs of damp and mould alongside any other health and safety concerns.

5. Finally, we’ll check the external features of your home such as roof, walls and guttering.

Need to re-arrange your appointment date and time?

It’s really important to get in touch with us if you can’t make your appointment.

Get in touch Get in touch

Your home condition survey will take around 30 minutes to complete.

We will update our records for your home and use the information from the survey to update our future planned works programme.

You can download a guide explaining what happens during a home condition survey here.

Need to log a repair before we arrive?

Download the My Livin app by searching My Livin in your app store or visit livin.co.uk

My Livin app My Livin app