Frequently Asked Questions

Homefinder UK is a national housing mobility scheme that helps households who are willing to move to other parts of the country. This might be to find a home that better matches their household size, personal or financial circumstances.   

Homefinder UK is the only scheme that offers available properties and mutual exchange opportunities through a single sign-on. It is also the only national ‘move on’ scheme offering case management services to applicants of member boroughs. 

If unsure whether this scheme is right for you, please read our information for applicants. You will see the full list of the type of applicants we work with. 

Anyone can register to Homefinder UK. However, to be eligible for Homefinder UK’s relocation services, you must be registered with a participating council or housing association. If you are not sure if your landlord is a member of our scheme, email [email protected] to find out. 

To receive further support with your property search, you can request your local council or housing association to join Homefinder UK.

There are very few properties available in London via our mobility scheme. When one does become available, you can express your interest, however we cannot guarantee your move. Learn more about expressing interest for a London property in our property search process page. 

You can register online at https://homefinderuk.org/customer-login   

When you complete your online application form you will be asked to set a security question, security answer and a password (this must be at least 8 digits long, have a capital letter, lower case letter, number and special character).  This will enable you to log in should you choose to finish your application later or if you get timed out whilst completing the form.

Please be aware that you should complete your application within 14 working days, or your application will be deleted.

Once you have completed your application you will receive an email with your Household ID which you will need when logging into your account.

You will use these details to access your account where you can update your application, complete a change of circumstances form or want to express interest on properties advertised on our website.

Internet access is usually available at libraries. If you are unable to complete an online form, you may wish to visit your local housing office for assistance. Alternatively, you can contact the Homefinder UK team by telephone at 0207 619 9705. 

It depends on a number of factors, including: 

• The availability of properties in the area(s) to which you wish to move 
• The number of other people registered  
• The level of priority you have (housing priority is determined by the receiving landlord's allocations policy).  

You should also note that Homefinder UK cannot guarantee any applicant a move. You can improve your chances by being flexible about the type of property and where you are willing to live. 

By clicking the “express your interest” button on available properties. Go to property search process to find out more. 

The available properties are advertised on the website. After registering, you will be given log in details that enable you to search for properties matching your needs. You can then express interest on properties. If you do not have access to the internet, someone can do this for you. 
 
Please note that on certain occasions, housing providers can and do withdraw properties from the advertising cycle. These unfortunate events are due to their business circumstances. Homefinder UK can take no responsibility for such actions.

If you council or housing association is one of our registered members, our case management team can provide further support. They will attempt to source a property in your area of choice, subject to local availability of properties.

The maximum amount of live expressions of interest you can have at any given time is 3. For more details, access our property search process page.

You can change your expressions of interest at any time until the advertising closing date. 

One of our team member will contact you to discuss your interest and answer any questions you may have. If you are still interested, your details will be forwarded to the housing provider who will contact you directly. Read the property search process for further information on the shortlisting process. 

If you refuse a property without a valid reason (e.g. medical, something wrong with the property), your landlord/council has the right to suspend your application.  

Yes. However, if you have been offered a viewing on a property, you cannot express interest for any more properties until you have either: 

• Accepted offer 
• Refused offer 
• Decided you are not interested for any other reason 

Your priority is based on the information you provide on your application form and the receiving landlord’s published housing allocation policy. The individual council housing waiting list does not apply to the scheme. However, participating landlords apply their own local policies when determining which applicant receives highest priority. This may mean that your priority is different in different areas. 

No, Homefinder UK does not take medical circumstances into account. The housing provider’s policies will apply. 

You will need to log into your application and complete the change of circumstances form. Your application will then go back to your landlord for them to approve the changes you have made.  

Your assessed need is based on the Government's bedroom standard.  

Some housing providers may allow you to express your interest for properties which are one bedroom more than your assessed need. For example, if you are a couple in a three-bedroom house, your assessed need would be for a one-bedroom property. But you may be able to express your interest for a two-bedroom home.  

If you receive housing benefit, however, housing providers may be unwilling to offer a home with more bedrooms than your assessed need. This is because the rent incurred through those additional bedrooms will not be covered by housing benefit. This follows the Social Size Criteria changes (known as welfare reform or Bedroom Tax) changes introduced in spring 2013. 

This information is only asked for statistical purposes. It has no impact on your application or chances of being rehoused. The application form allows you to select a 'prefers not to say' option from the list provided. Therefore, you can choose not to disclose this information.  

Please contact the Homefinder UK team via: 

• Email at [email protected] 
• Phone on 020 7619 9705  

No. Only your current landlord (housing provider or council) and Homefinder UK staff can see your information. If you are successfully shortlisted for a property, our team will share some of your information with the new housing provider. This is so they can contact you and check your eligibility. 

No. You can only include people who currently live with you in your application. Your landlord needs to approve and verify your application before you can be considered for a property. They will not be able to do so if there are extra people that they have no information about. 

You should also be aware that if you move, you must leave your current home in vacant possession. This means that no one can remain living there after you have moved out, unless if  moving due to overcrowding.

At most points during the application form, there is a 'finish later' button at the bottom of the page. If you select this option, you will be allocated a temporary login so you can return to the application form later. This login will allow you to complete your application within ten days. If you leave it any longer than this, you will need to start another application. 

Yes. At the end of the registration form, there is an option to include a correspondence address. If you complete this, all mail will be sent to this address instead your home address. 

We have tried to add all local authorities and housing provider to our registration online form. However, if your housing provider / council is not listed, please select the ‘Other landlord’ to continue with the application.