There are some things you have to consider in when becoming a Sheffield City Council tenant. This includes:
You will need to complete application form and provide the necessary information.
All housing applicants are required to provide Identification (ID) and a landlord reference when they apply to join the housing register.
References should be submitted using the Sheffield City Council reference template. If you are currently or have ever lived independently, Sections 1, 2 and 3 must be completed by your most recent landlord.
If you have never lived independently, you will need to contact us for an alternative form. This form must then be completed by someone who knows you in a professional capacity. This could be a support worker, social worker or employer.
You can upload your documents through the system or take these to your local First Point or to Howden House.
All required documents must be submitted at the same time.
These must be provided within 28 days of submitting your application online.
If we do not receive these, your application will be cancelled and you will need to re-apply. If you have any issues get in touch with us.
The Registrations Team will process your application and write to you.
A bid is a show of interest in a property that has been advertised via the Sheffield Property Shop website.
This is a Sheffield City Council property or a Housing Association property.
You can only bid after your application has been processed and we have placed you into a band.
You place a bid by logging into the Sheffield Property Shop website.
You can only bid on properties you are eligible for. For example, as a single person you would be eligible for a bedsit (studio flat) or a one-bedroomed property.
You can bid for up to three properties per week.
The person in first position for a property when the bidding period closes will be offered the property in most cases.
If you are currently in Band D and refuse three offers, we will look towards moving you to Band E.
If you are currently in Band E and refuse three offers, we will look towards disqualifying you from the register.
In both cases, we will write to you and ask you why you refused the three properties.
Your circumstances dictate which band your application will be placed:
Your application will be placed into a priority band once a full assessment of your needs has been completed.
General Needs Band D:
Reduced Preference Band E:
In addition to the reduced banding, we may also restrict the areas of Sheffield you can move to.
Your Band can be reviewed and changed at any time during the lifetime of your housing application
If your application successful, you will begin an introductory tenancy. IT usually lasts for 12 months, and it functions much like a trial period.
If there are no problems during the trial period, the tenancy will automatically become a secure tenancy 12 months after the tenancy started.
Our Tenancy Conditions set out what we expect from you as our tenant. This forms the agreement between you and us.
You can read the Tenancy Conditions in You and Your Home to find out more.
Independent adviceIf you would prefer to get independent advice outside of Sheffield City Council you can contact:
You can speak to them about any concerns you have around housing, benefits and general support, including questions you may have around your rights as a tenant.
There are also other organisations such as: