How houses are allocated

When you make an application for rehousing on Derby Homefinder, your needs will be assessed from the information you provide. If you are eligible and qualify, you will be placed in one of the three 'housing bands':

Corporate Needs Band
Priority Needs Band
General needs band

If you have no housing needs, or do not qualify, you will be placed in 'Open to All'.

Your application is live as soon as you have submitted your application and registered your email address. You can log in using your registered email address and password and will be able to bid on properties that are advertised for your allocated band straight away.

Housing Bands

The Derby City Council’s Allocation policy 2020 to 2025 explains in more detail how decisions are made on how we prioritise those who need housing and how properties are allocated in Derby City. 

‌Derby City Council - Allocations Policy 2020 to 2025

Corporate Needs

You will be placed in the Corporate Needs band if your circumstances reflect the key corporate priorities of the City Council. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Care leavers
People moving on from specialist supported housing
People who are releasing larger properties
Those approved to foster and need a larger property

Priority Needs

You will be placed in the Priority Needs band for reasons such as:

Being homeless or threatened with homelessness
Living in overcrowded accommodation
You have been a member of the armed forces
You are at serious risk of harm

General Needs

If you are placed the General Needs band, it is likely you will be waiting a long time for a property. You will be placed in this band for reasons like:

Under occupying a property by one bedroom
You need to move to take up or remain in employment
Our homeless duty has ended

Open to all

If you have been placed in the 'Open to all' band, it means you either do not have a recognised housing need or you are not eligible, for instance you have rent arrears and no repayment plan in place. It is highly unlikely that you will be offered a property. There are currently around 2000 people in Open to all and in the last three months, 0 properties have been advertised in this band.

We recommend that people in this band look at other options such as renting privately, or if you're already in a social housing property, consider a 'Mutual Exchange'

It’s very difficult for us to be able to give you an accurate idea of how long you may wait to be rehoused. Waiting times are affected by the type, size and area of the property you are looking for as well as your individual circumstances. You should consider options available to you, to increase your chances of being rehoused.