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Rent a home

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How to apply for social housing

How you apply to rent a Sanctuary Scotland home depends on where you are looking to live:

Who is eligible

To be able to join one of our open housing waiting lists and be considered for a property, the following applies:

  • You must be aged 16 or over

  • You have been assessed as being in housing need

  • You meet the criteria of our lettings banding scheme.

You will not be eligible for housing with us if:

  • You do not meet the criteria above

  • You have been evicted for breach of tenancy by a local authority, housing association, another registered provider or private landlord

  • We consider that you pose a threat to a local community because you have been convicted of offences like drug dealing, violent or abusive behaviour towards others (including Sanctuary staff), racially motivated attacks or hate crimes.

What size home you can apply for

The number of bedrooms will depend on where you wish to live and your individual circumstances. We try to provide:

  • One bedroom for every adult couple

  • One bedroom for any other person aged 16 or over (14 or over with These Homes in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire)

  • Children aged under eight are normally expected to share a room

  • A boy and girl aged 8 or over will normally get their own room

  • Children of the same sex aged 8 or over but under 16 (under 14 with These Homes in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire) are normally expected to share

  • Children of the same sex with 8 or more years between them (10 or more with These Homes in Aberdeen or Aberdeenshire) will normally get their own room

You can request a spare room over and above these criteria but are less likely to be successful.

What happens when you are offered a home

  1. Should a suitable property become available, we will let you know that you are on the shortlist for it

  2. For us to progress your application further we will ask to see full proof of your identification and income

  3. When you’ve accepted an offer and the home is ready for you to move into, you will need to sign a tenancy agreement. If you are eligible for a housing-related benefit, please tell your local authority straight away

  4. Your rent is due weekly. No deposit is required but before you sign up you will need to pay a minimum of one week’s full rent, although the amount will depend on how you will make your rent payments. If you choose to pay anything other than weekly, you must make sure your account never falls into arrears between payments. This applies even if you are claiming housing-related benefits.  We will make an appointment to call you to discuss the required payment.

  5. Paying your rent by Direct Debit is quick and easy to set up and ensures you don’t miss a payment. We will ask you to set this up prior to you signing your tenancy agreement.

What happens when you move in

We have a dedicated page related to moving into your property. This includes some useful information on setting up your utilities and home insurance.