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.

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Case Study

Case Study - Reece Cowell

Reece is aged 18 and lives with his family in one of our homes in Newton Aycliffe. He applied for and was successful in securing one of our Kickstart funded paid placements with our partner Tolent Living. He has been looking for a job opportunity in the construction industry for some time and was eager to get going.

As a General Labourer Reece worked on development site based in his hometown at Travellers Green. With the support of our Livin Futures team he was able to update his CV and run through interviews which resulted in him being offered the placement an hour after the interview.

Livin Futures has helped me so much, they supported me into a six month Kickstart placement with Tolent where I have been working as a general labourer. I have really enjoyed my time working on site and I am keen to progress my career in construction. The team was brilliant in helping me apply for and prepare for apprenticeship vacancies. I am looking forward to my future career.

Request support

We go above and beyond to help our tenants to get into work. There are many ways we can help you as a Livin tenant, from free training opportunities to matching you with local job vacancies and improving your job hunting skills.

MORE CASE STUDIES