Applying for a council home

Making the most of your bids

Applicants bid for our homes through an online system called Locata.

Locata matches people to homes. It operates a choice-based lettings scheme, which means it will not be the council or housing association who find and allocate you a home. Instead, lettings will be determined by Locata according to eligibility.

You should follow this guidance to make the most of your bids and maximise your chances of securing a new tenancy.

Be flexible

You can bid for up to three properties during the framework of the daily bidding cycle. We understand that  when you move, you will want the best for yourself and your family. You may want to stay close to friends and family, or you may feel that your children would benefit from living in a house with a garden.

Location

Our borough has good public transport and road links throughout. You may be able to improve your chances by considering properties that are not quite as close to your family, friends, schools and workplaces as you would like.

Type of property

The council has relatively few houses to let. In 2022/23, we allocated more than three times as many flats as houses. More people place bids for houses than for any other type of property, so each time you bid for a house, you could be competing with up to 1,000 other people.

Ealing has lots of green spaces where children can be taken to play safely outside. To improve your chances of success, consider bidding for flats.

Floor levels and stairs

Properties on the ground floor will often be allocated to people who have high priority because of a medical condition or disability and need ground floor accommodation, so consider bidding for properties above ground floor level.

If you have young children, you may be worried about managing external stairs with buggies and shopping bags but remember, the children are growing all the time and it will get easier.