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.

Awaab’s Law

From 27 October 2025, Awaab's Law requires social landlords to investigate and fix reported damp, mould and emergency hazards within strict timeframes.

Read the full Damp and Mould policy or our summarised version.

Damp And Mould Summarised Policy

Awaab’s Law aims to:

Ensure timely action by social landlords to fix health and safety hazards
Protect tenants from the risks of living in unsafe homes
Hold landlords accountable through legal and regulatory mechanisms

Street view of some bungalows in Fishburn

What it means for you:

We are committed to making sure your home is safe and free from serious hazards. Under Awaab’s Law we will:

Make emergency repairs safe within 24 hours
Investigate significant reports of damp and mould within ten working days
Send you a written summary of our investigation within three working days of it concluding
If a significant risk is found, the property is made safe and works begin work to complete repairs within five working days of the investigation
Ensure more complex repairs are completed as soon as reasonably practicable, and within 12 weeks of the investigation concluding
If we can’t make your home safe, we will offer alternative accommodation

Government guidance

Identifying and reporting emergency repairs

Examples of emergency repairs include:

• Gas leaks

• Unsafe electrics (e.g. exposed wiring)

• No heating or hot water

• Loss of water supply

• Significant leaks or flooding

• Broken external doors/windows affecting security

• Severe damp and mould affecting breathing

• Structural damage risking collapse or injury

Your circumstances matter so we may ask if someone in your household is:

• Under 5 years old

• Elderly

• Pregnant

• Living with asthma, COPD, or other health conditions

• Disabled or otherwise vulnerable

If you have a repair that poses an imminent risk to your health or safety, please call us immediately on 0800 587 4538, available 24/7. If you're unsure whether your repair is an emergency, call us and we will help assess the risk for you.

Call 0800 587 4538

Further phases of Awaab's Law

From 2026 to cover additional hazards identified under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS), such as:

Excess cold and heat
Falls
Structural collapse
Fire and electrical hazards

From 2027, the final phase of the law will be implemented to cover all remaining hazards under HHSRS, excluding over-crowding.

We run compulsory training for our teams. This ensures we’re always skilled and prepared to respond correctly to any related issues in line with the timelines outlined by the law.

Report Damp and Mould Damp and Mould

We encourage you to contact us directly in the first instance if you experience any issues with a service we have provided. This allows us to fully investigate your concerns through our free complaints process and resolve matters promptly. By coming to us first, you can avoid unnecessary delays and legal costs, making sure your concerns are addressed quickly and fairly.

Customer Feedback and Complaints

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.