We understand the anxiety that uncertainty about your housing can cause. We want everyone to have a place they can call home. However, we are only able to help people find their next home in some circumstances. Most people will need to look for their own home to move into.
The quickest way to find a home is in the private rented sector. Finding your own private rented accommodation is known a ‘self-sourcing’. You can also bid for social housing, or apply for a scheme like Bridge Housing or Home Finder UK.
You are much more likely to find a private rented home than to get social housing. Most people will be on the housing register for many years and may never be successful in bidding for social housing.
When you find your own private rented home, you can keep your place on the housing register. This means that you can choose where you live and be somewhere more comfortable while you continue to bid for social housing.
When looking for somewhere to rent privately, you should look at housing outside of Lambeth and London. This is because the supply of affordable private rented housing in Lambeth is limited. See a map of average rents by area in London on the Greater London Authority website.
If you would like to speak to someone about finding your own private rented home, contact the Temporary Accommodation Move On Team at tamoveon@lambeth.gov.uk.
We can also give advice and support on:
- arranging viewings and securing a property
- paying your deposit if you meet the criteria
- how to make a budget and deal with debt
- how to apply for benefits
- how to find a home that fits your needs
- understanding how much benefit you may receive toward housing costs depending on the Local Housing Allowance
If you do not find a home, the council will make you a Private Rented Sector Offer (PRSO). This is where we find a private rented home for you, which may be outside of London. You will be removed from the housing register and our housing duty to you will end.
Watch this short video on finding your own rented home and being made an offer of private renting by us.
Other housing options
Other options you can explore alongside private renting include:
- Home Finder helps find social and private rented housing outside your local area, including specialist retirement or wheelchair adapted homes.
- Sheltered housing provides convenient and comfortable homes for people over 60, or over 55 with a disability or mental health need, helping you to keep your independence.
- Bridge Housing helps find homeless households social housing outside your local area and can work with you to find a home that meets your needs.
- Homes for Londoners, provided by the Greater London Authority, helps people on low to middle incomes to search for Shared Ownership, London Living Rent and other forms of affordable home ownership.
- Seaside and Country Homes scheme offers people aged 55 and over, who live in social housing in London, the opportunity to move to bungalows and flats, managed by housing associations located mainly across the south coast but also in eastern England and the west country.
Bidding for social housing
There are currently 28,000 people on Lambeth’s housing register looking for a home.
You must be on the housing register to bid for social housing, where you will be given a bidding number (also called your housing reference number) and access to the Home Connections website.
Read more about bidding for properties.
If you do not know your bidding number or need help logging in, contact us on 020 7926 1000.
It is your responsibility to let us know if you have moved home, or your household has had a change in circumstances since you applied to join the housing register, as this could effect the type of property you can bid for. Failure to do so could prevent you being offered a home that you are successful in bidding for.
Read make a change to an existing housing register application
What to do when you move out
When moving out of temporary accommodation, you will need to:
- Hand back your keys to your agent or landlord. You must follow any instructions given to you so that the keys are safely received. You must get evidence that you have returned your keys, e.g., a signed receipt from the agent, or a photo or video showing where you have deposited the keys.
- Tell the Temporary Accommodation Team that you have handed back your keys. You can do this by calling 020 7926 1000 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm).
Your rent account will only be closed once you have completed both of these steps. You will be responsible for rent until you do this.
Please be aware that abandoning your accommodation may result in the council ending its housing duty towards you.
You will also need to keep your records up-to-date and may need to:
- Update your housing register application
- update your Universal Credit account with your new address, via Universal Credit - Report a change of circumstances on Gov.UK.
- Report a change in your circumstances for your Housing Benefit or Council Tax Support claim
- Update your address on your Council Tax record in Lambeth, or the local authority you live in
- Update your record on the electoral register so you can vote in upcoming elections
- Submit final metre readings to your supplier and close down any other utilities accounts
- Register with a GP if you move to a new area
- tell the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) you've changed address.