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Who can join the Housing Register?

Who qualifies for the Housing Register?

A housing applicant qualifies to join the Housing Register if he/she has a housing need and meets the following four criteria:

Connection to Wiltshire Council’s area

An applicant has a connection if s/he is

  • Living in Wiltshire Council’s area and has resided here for minimum last 2 years+, or
  • Employed in Wiltshire Council’s area, or a job offer where contract for 12 months+, or
  • Self employed in Wiltshire Council’s area, or
  • Closely related to a person (a parent, a grandparent, an adult sibling or adult child) who is living in Wiltshire Council’s area and has resided in the area for 5 years+, or
  • A person who urgently needs to move to the Wiltshire Council area to receive health, care or support services which are unavailable where s/he currently lives

*small numbers of applicants are exempt from requiring a connection to Wiltshire Council’s area including current and many former armed forces personnel, people fleeing domestic abuse and homeless persons whom the council has an obligation to re-house under the homelessness legislation.

Be managing any housing debts appropriately

Prospective applicants need to take responsibility for their housing debts to be considered for the Housing Register.  An unmanaged housing debt is a current debt to a local authority landlord, a housing association or a private landlord where no repayments are being made to the landlord to clear it. 

If you have a housing debt, and have paid more than 50% of the original amount owing, you may be entitled to join the Housing Register if you are continuing to make regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments to clear the remainder owed.  If you have paid less than 50% of the debt, you will need to have made regular weekly, fortnightly or monthly repayments against the debt for 6 months before you may join the Housing Register.

Having less than £16,000 capital (including homeowners)

An applicant / household must have less than £16,000 in savings unless a serious physical disability and/or visual impairment means a need for an accessible, adapted property which may not be readily available on the open housing market.

Not having committed Anti-Social Behaviour in the past 12 months

A prospective applicant must not have been found guilty of Anti-Social Behaviour which makes her/him unsuitable to be a tenant in the last 12 months.

Who does not qualify for the Housing Register?

  • Those subject to immigration control (except those entitled to apply for housing under regulations set out by the government)
  • A person is not in housing need if s/he is considered to be adequately housed under Wiltshire Council's Allocation Policy
  • Home owners are not in housing need unless they cannot afford to pay their mortgages and the mortgage term cannot be extended to make it affordable
  • People with unmanaged housing debt
  • Those found guilty of Anti-Social Behaviour within the last 12 months

Open Market Register

The Open Market Register is aimed at those who are interested in exploring other housing options, such as Low Cost Home Ownership including discounted sale or shared ownership property and low demand affordable rented properties including older people’s accommodation.

The procedure for registering on the Open Market Register is the same as for the Housing Register.