Changes to bidding on vacant properties

We’re making some changes to the way you can bid for vacancies if you’re currently on the Housing Register.

What’s changing?

From Friday 3 October 2025 we’ll be running two adverts each week.

 
Will there be more vacancies available?

Yes, for a short time there will be. Some of you may have noticed homes being empty for longer and not advertised. We have funding and plans in place to get as many of these ready to let between now and the end of March 2026.  

When will the two adverts open and close?

From Friday 3 October 2025, the adverts will run on the following cycles:

• Advert 1: Opens from 00.01am Friday (just after midnight Thursday evening) and closes 12noon (midday) Monday.
• Advert 2: Opens from 00:01am Tuesday (just after midnight Monday evening) and closes 12noon (midday) Thursday.
  

How many can I bid on?

You can still bid on three vacancies in each advert. So that means you can now bid on six in total in any one week. 

Will bidding just after midnight give me a better chance?

No - there’s no ‘first come, first served’ element to placing a bid, so there’s no need to wait up or rush to apply when the adverts open. All expressions of interest placed within the bidding cycle will be considered in line with their priority or waiting time.

When will I know if I’m getting an offer?

We’ll try our best to let people know in five working days from when the advert closes, but please bear with us, as sometimes it might take us longer. If you don’t hear anything and the vacancy is still showing as available, it means we haven’t allocated a new tenant yet.  

I’m in Band 3 or Band 4. Is it worth me bidding?

We want to be honest - if you’re after a house then it’s really unlikely that you’ll be high enough up the list, as nearly all of our houses go to applicants in Band 1 and Band 2. If you’re after a flat or bungalow (particularly bedsits or one-bedroom flats) you might have a better chance.   

Try out our interactive Homechecker tool first to see what we’ve let to people in your priority band and how long they were waiting.    

I don’t want to stay on the register

If you don’t want to stay on the register, please tell us now – click here to complete our online form Cancel My Application.
 
For more frequently asked questions, please visit our Bidding on vacancies website page.