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

Travellers Green, Newton Aycliffe

We worked with the community to transform this area into a beautiful, high quality, green space surrounded by new affordable energy efficient homes.

What did we do?

We worked with the community to deliver 47 new homes for rent at Travellers Green and Clarence Green, Newton Aycliffe. They have replaced 32 prefabricated, post WW2 structures that were demolished in March 2020.

Our new development is a mix of family homes and bungalows. It includes 14 two-bedroom homes, 11 three-bedroom homes, 4 four-bedroom homes and 18 two-bedroom bungalows.

How did this meet our Planet A agenda?

The new homes offer significant improvements in design, space and thermal efficiency. In line with Planet A , the scheme provides an exemplary modern sustainable place which has been;

Developed using a traditional village green design
Includes an inverted crescent set piece next to Clarence Green
Produced piece of public art has been included on site
Designed to national described space standards
Introduced a fabric-first approach exceeding Building Regulations requirements targeting limiting heat gains and losses and efficient building services will maintain low running costs for residents. SAP ratings of 83, 84 and 89
Includes two dwellings built to pilot the emerging Future Homes Standards utilising low carbon heating in the form of air source heat pumps, mechanical ventilation with heat recovery and utilising solar photovoltaic cells

Other outcomes

Travellers Green won the award for Best Housing Development in CIH Northern Housing Awards 2021
Demand has been exceedingly high, with over 100 bids received for each property

Travellers Green, Newton Aycliffe

What did we do?

How did this meet our Planet A agenda?

The story of York Hill