Frequently asked questions

How do I apply for a Livin home or bungalow?

We advertise all of our available homes on our Find A Home page, simply visit this page for more information.

Before you can place a bid on one of our homes, you must first have an active account with the relevant Choice Based Lettings Scheme. Almost all our homes are located in County Durham and therefore are allocated through the Durham Key Options scheme. Durham Key Options (DKO) is a partnership between Durham County Council and landlords across County Durham.

We have a small number of homes which are located outside Durham, these are all advertised through Tees Valley HomeFinder, Hartlepool HomeSearch and Darlington HomeSearch; They are similar to Durham Key Options but we do not process applications registered for these schemes. If you wish to register an application for homes advertised in this area, please apply directly.

Once your application is approved, you will then be able to bid on homes that meet your needs. You can access the application form directly by visiting the relevant Choice Based Lettings system.

How long will it take for my application to be processed?

We aim to start processing your application within 10 working days. If we require any further information after this point, we will contact you to ask for this. Once we have received all the required information we will notify you of our decision within 20 days, and if accepted we will activate your account. You can also check your application status online by logging into the DKO portal.

How can I get involved with Livin and help to shape services?

To find out more about the different ways you can get involved, please visit our getting involved section.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Buy?

Tenants who have been with Livin since before the transfer from Sedgefield Council in 2009 may have the “Preserved Right to Buy” their property. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Buy website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

Can I apply to buy my home under Right to Acquire?

If you have been a tenant for 3 or more years you may have the right to buy your property under the Right to Acquire scheme. Full details of the scheme are available on the Government Right to Acquire website. If you are thinking of applying, please contact us.

More FAQ's

23 Oct - 2023

Partnership supports local school to open top-class sports facility for the community

Whitworth Park Academy, Spennymoor officially opened its full-size 3G training pitch, and improved indoor space including changing facilities and a community lounge last month.

Together with The Academy Trust, the Football Foundation, Durham County Council and Spennymoor AAP, we have generated £1.9M of funding to deliver the project within the school, benefitting 840 students and the wider community.

The top-class facility will become the main training ground for Spennymoor Town FC junior clubs serving over 600 children. Spennymoor Town FC, Byers Green FC, Auckland Moors FC and Chilton Juniors FC will also use the facilities at the school.

Graham Darby, Executive Director Housing and Communities said: "We're incredibly proud to be part of this project, collaborating with such a dedicated team of partners to bring a positive change to the students at Whitworth Park Academy and the wider community. The facilities provide a safe and inspiring environment for everyone to benefit from. We are delighted to be part of this transformative project."

Dave Stone, former Head Teacher at Whitworth Park Academy said: "The project has taken some time to come to fruition, both Whitworth Park and Advance Learning Partnership are very proud that we are to offer such an amazing facilities to both children in the school as part of their sports curriculum, and also offer access to a 3G pitch and additional gym facilities to our whole community for people of all ages to use and enjoy whilst getting fit and having all the health benefits that a facility like ours provides. Our thanks go out to all our partners who helped fund, develop, and deliver this truly world-class facility"

Pictured: David Stone (Former Headteacher Whitworth Park Academy), Andy Coulthard (Regeneration Manager), Graham Darby (Executive Director Housing and Communites), Pascal Chimbonda (Former professional footballer), Nathan Rogerson (Sports Management Solutions) and Kelvin Simpson (Advance Learning Partnership CEO).

Find more information about our place-based projects here.

Place-Based projects