Renting a home
The demand for social housing in Sunderland is greater than its supply. We let properties in an open and transparent way to meet people’s housing needs.
Applying to join our housing register
To join our housing register you must be aged 16 years or older. You can apply to live:
- on your own
- with a partner
- with family
- with another adult who wants to live with you, like a friend
We also accept applications from people who:
- live outside the Sunderland area
- own a property
How to apply
Create an account and apply to join our housing register.
If you need help to create an account and apply to join our housing register, we will give you advice and support. We will visit you if needed or you can visit your local office.
You will have to upload identification and proof of your right to rent in England. Some documents, like driving licences and passports, can be used as identification and proof of your right to rent. If you use the same document for two reasons, you will need to upload it twice.
If you are eligible for social housing, we put you in one of four allocation bands based on your needs. We may ask you for evidence to help put you in the correct band.
We recognise that some applicants may need support with applying for a home. We can support you by helping to complete or update an application form as well as arrange a viewing.
Housing needs and allocation bands
We use the information in your housing application to put you in an allocation band based on your housing needs. We may ask you for evidence to help put you in the correct band.
We automatically add you to band 3 so you can start bidding for a home as soon as possible. Once we have reviewed your application, we will contact you if your band has changed.
Your allocation band will be in your housing application. To see your allocation band in our housing register:
- Sign in to your account.
- Select the 'Housing Register' button.
- Select the 'View need assessment' button.
- Your band will be listed under 'Band name'.
If you cannot bid for a home, it may be because your application is incomplete or information needs updating.
The 4 allocation bands are:
- Band 1+ is for people who live in a Gentoo renewal area where properties need major improvements
- Band 1 is for people who have a legal or urgent need of housing and need to move at once
- Band 2 is for people who have a priority housing need
- Band 3 is for people who have general housing needs, which includes people who live outside of Sunderland
If you disagree with your allocation band
You have the right to ask for a review of your allocation band.
If you are a Gentoo customer and you want to ask for a review of your allocation band, call 0191 525 5000 and select option 4.
If you are not a current Gentoo customer, please contact Sunderland City Council on 0191 520 5551 or live outside of Sunderland, contact your local council and they will be able to change your allocation band.
If you are an existing Gentoo customer
You must be 1 or more years into your current tenancy before you can move to a different Gentoo property.
If we assess that you have a priority need for housing within the first year of your tenancy, you can reapply to join our housing register. A priority housing need includes:
- antisocial behaviour
- exceptional circumstances, like a fire or flood in your current home
- financial difficulties
- mobility needs
- overcrowding
- under occupying, where one person lives in a home with 3 bedrooms
Nominated by your local council
You can also join our housing register if your local council nominates you.
We have agreements with local councils, so they nominate people who:
- are on their waiting list
- are homeless
- have a legal or urgent need of housing and need to move at once
The local councils we have agreements with are:
- Durham County Council
- Middlesbrough Council
- Northumberland County Council
- Sunderland City Council
- South Tyneside Council
Finding and bidding for a property
We advertise available properties every Wednesday at 2pm. Each advert runs for 7 days until midday the following Wednesday.
You can apply to join or bid for a home on our online housing register.
Supported bidding
We offer supported bidding for any applicants who:
- are vulnerable and need extra support in the bidding process
- have been assessed and placed in the urgent, priority or renewal bands and fail to engage in the bidding process
If you need support, call us on 0191 525 5000 and select option 4
Withdrawing a bid
If you are no longer interested in a property that you have bid on, you must withdraw your bid before the advert closes.
For properties advertised on our housing register, you can use your online account and housing application to withdraw a bid.
- Sign in to your account.
- Select the 'Housing register' button.
- Select the 'View my bids' button.
- Select the 'Remove bid' button for the property you are no longer interested in.
Or you can call 0191 525 5000 and select option 3 or 4.
Ranking and shortlisting
We rank bids and create shortlists for each property. We rank bids by:
- allocation band
- how well you match the property labels in the advert
- the date and time we put you in your allocation band if you are in band 1+, 1 or 2
- the date and time we got your application
New build properties that have never had a tenant are open to all applicants. For these properties, we rank bids by:
- how well you match the property labels in the advert
- the date and time we got your application
For properties advertised on our housing register, your rank is in your housing application.
- Sign in to your account.
- Select the 'Housing register' button.
- Select the 'View my bids' button.
- If the advert is still open, select the 'Calculate shortlist position" button. If the advert has closed, your rank is under 'Final position on advert'.
Viewing a property
We invite the people on the shortlist to view the property. The viewing could be an individual or a group viewing. If your viewing is a group viewing, we will let you know.
We will make reasonable attempts to arrange a viewing that suits you.
If you do not come to a viewing, we will move on to the next person in the shortlist.
To help speed up the process, bring 2 identity documents to your viewing. Where possible, one of these should be photographic ID like a passport or driving licence.
If we do not have these documents within 48 hours of the viewing, we will move on to the next person in the shortlist.
Offering a property
We offer the property to the highest ranked person on the shortlist. You have 48 hours to decide if you want to accept the offer.
Refusing an offer
If you refuse or do not respond to the initial offer, we will offer it to the next highest-ranked person from the shortlist.
Please be aware, refusing an offer could impact your priority need.
Accepting an offer
When you accept our initial offer, we complete checks to make sure you can afford the property and would be a suitable customer. We check:
- you are still eligible for social housing
- your financial situation to make sure you can afford to pay the rent, including your income, savings and the value of any assets you own, like properties and shares in a business
- landlord or mortgage references
- your police record, if needed
- if you owe us any money, including rent arrears, former tenant arrears, repairs we charge for, or court costs
- your application form again
- your current home, where suitable
If you are a Gentoo customer, we may also use what we know about your:
- payment history
- housekeeping
- behaviour
When we complete the checks, we will either:
- formally offer you the property
- withdraw our initial offer
If you refuse or do not respond to the formal offer, we will offer it to the next highest-ranked person from the shortlist.
If we find that you can afford to buy or privately rent similar properties in the area, we may withdraw our initial offer.
Signing your tenancy agreement
When you sign your tenancy agreement, you must pay at least 1 week’s rent and give us:
- proof of your identity
- any Housing Benefit or Universal Credit details
- proof you have the right to rent in England
We give you a welcome pack and go through the Tenant Handbook with you.
You will meet and get the details of your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator who will:
- help you manage your tenancy
- give you advice and support to meet your needs
- refer you to colleagues and partner organisations where needed for things like advice on how to manage your money and Universal Credit
If you are moving into a sheltered housing or extra care scheme, you will meet and get the details of your Scheme Manager. Find out more about scheme managers and what they do.
Getting your keys and moving in
You will work with your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator or Scheme Manager to agree a date you will move in and start your tenancy.
We will give you 2 sets of keys. We recommend you give the second set to a trusted friend or family member and let us know who they are so we can contact them in an emergency. We do not keep copies of your keys.
If you move into a flat in a building with a communal entrance, you will also get a key or fob for the building’s secure door entry system.
If you lose or damage your keys or fobs, we may charge you.
Welcome emails
Your Neighbourhood Co-ordinator will send you 3 welcome emails when you start your tenancy.
The first email is a general welcome and includes your tenancy reference number and your co-ordinator’s contact details. It also includes a link where you can provide feedback on how you found the process of moving/renting with Gentoo.
The second email is about repairs and how to report them.
The third email is about how you can get involved to help us improve our services.