Apply to join the housing register

People living in the borough

Anyone aged 18 and over and who is eligible and qualifies for the housing register can apply to join the Housing Register. However, you must have resided in the borough for 5 continuous years before your application and you will also need to have an 'identified housing need' (this includes but is not limited to: overcrowding, by more than 2 bedrooms, very high medical priority unsuitable property conditions and insanitary conditions).  

*Anyone over the age of 16 with a housing need is eligible to join the Housing Register but only if their current address is their only home, or sole residence, and they are not already registered through someone else’s housing application

Eligibility Criteria

Only applicants that are eligible in accordance with S160ZA of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) and Eligibility Regulations can be included on the register. Eligibility is explained in detail within statutory guidance “Allocation of Accommodation: guidance for local housing authorities in England” 

Applicants will not be eligible to join the register if they: 

• are subject to immigration control
• only have a right to reside in the UK because they (or a member of their household) is a jobseeker
• are not habitually resident in the UK
• have a right to reside in the UK of less than three months
• are not allowed to claim housing benefit under s115 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1999 

Applicants should note that their eligibility could change over time. If they cease to be eligible, we cannot allow them to remain on the housing register.

If you live outside the borough you can only join the Housing Register if:

• A care leaver under 24 years who has been looked after by the council for at least 2 years, including some time before they turned 16, under section 22A of the Children Act 1989.
• A young person looked after by the council and have been placed in care outside the borough.
• A need to move to the borough to provide full time care for a Kingston resident who has lived in the borough for 5 years or more.
• An adult in receipt of care from Adult Social Care and placed out of the borough in a hospital or residential care or other accommodation.
• Have one of the above local connections immediately prior to going into prison or hospital or similar institution.
• Those fleeing violence will be assessed under the homelessness legislation.
• Be a council and partner registered provider tenants looking to downsize to smaller accommodation (also known as under-occupiers).
• Be a council and partner registered provider tenants looking to free up an adapted property they do not need.
• Be a Gypsy or Traveller (as defined in the Caravan Sites Act 1968) who has habitually resorted to Kingston.
• Additional preference will also be given to serving members of the armed forces, or those who have recently served including surviving spouses/civil partners

Members of the Armed Forces

• Serving members of the Armed Forces are exempt from the usual continuous residence requirements for applying to the Housing Register.
• Current and former members of the Armed Forces, as well as their families, are welcome to join Kingston's Housing Register and will be considered for housing

For any questions about joining Kingston's Housing Regist or regarding an existing application for current or former members of the Armed Forces, or their family members, please contact david.hill@kingston.gov.uk

Who is disqualified

If you or a member of your household has been involved in unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make you an unsuitable tenant of the Council then you could face being disqualified. Please see the allocations policy for more information.

Types of housing

If you’re on the Housing Register, you can put your bid for:

• council and housing association homes
• sheltered housing (if you meet the age criteria )
• pitches on the Swallow Park gypsy and traveller site
• low cost home ownership schemes

You don’t have to apply separately to the nine housing associations who share the Kingston Housing Register. Other housing associations with properties in the borough ask us to nominate people for most of their homes.

If you’re offered the property and you view it, you have 24 hours to decide if you want to accept it.

Re–Registration 

All applications will be asked to re-register every 12 months to maintain their application. Applicants will need to contact the council within 21 days of the review letter, or their application may be cancelled. If their circumstances change, we will reassess the priority.