Silchester

Find a home

Your options explained

Help and tips when looking for a Peabody home.

We offer a range of homes and tenures here at Peabody, which are often dependent on individual circumstances.  We understand that this can be confusing for anyone looking to live in one of our homes so we hope you find the answer you're looking for here. If you need further help, please contact us.

Please select from the topics below. 

You can also download our rehousing options leaflet (pdf, 606kb). 

 

Social housing

Learn more about applying for social housing homes with us.

If you're not a current Peabody resident
If you want to live in one of our social housing homes, you'll first need to contact your local authority.

Most local authorities/councils have a housing waiting list so you’ll need to apply to go on that. Once you’ve done so – assuming your application is successful – you'll then be able to apply for any available social housing homes (including Peabody's).

  • If you're already a Peabody resident
    We have a limited number of properties available to Peabody residents who wish to transfer to another home within Peabody. As demand is so high, we can only transfer those residents who fall into our priority criteria. These are listed below (those included in banding A1, A2 and A3 are assessed by a Priority Move Panel) as well as in our Transfer policy.
  Reason for transfer (from highest to lowest priority )
 Banding
  Decant (temporary) A1
  Decant (permanent) A2
  Management transfer A3
  Health and disability B1
  Under-occupying successors or someone with an additional right to a tenancy following the death of the tenant B2
  Under-occupation affected by the Welfare Reform Act (also known as the 'bedroom tax') B3
  Severely overcrowded households - two or more bedrooms B4
  Under-occupation by two or more bedrooms for those not affected by the Welfare Reform Act C1

 

Next Steps scheme and supported housing move on

 C2

Older people's housing bands

There are also three bands for older people who may want to move into supported housing. These are determined by the level of need.

Banding Number of points
F1 301-500 points
F2 150-300 points
F3 0-149 points

F1 has the highest priority. Where a resident is assessed for older persons’ housing and their needs/risk assessment score is higher than 500, they will not be eligible for older persons’ housing because the nature of the housing will not provide adequate support to the resident. In these cases, support officers will work with the resident to identify alternative options for re-housing.

Choice-Based lettings 
We  have  introduced a new choice-based letting scheme for all Transfer applicants. We will advertise available empty homes on Homehunt and approved transfer applicants will be able to place a bid for a home. We encourage all applicants to be active in expressing interest in available Peabody properties. We will also make direct offers where appropriate. 

If you would like to apply to join our transfer list, please register on the HomeHunt website. The registration process is very straightforward but there is further guidance here. If you have any questions, please mail the lettingsadminteam@peabody.org.uk or contact us.

Rent a home — open market

View homes for rent (open market)

Our market rent homes ('open market') are equivalent to private sector rents in the same area. Homes available at open market rent are open to anybody who is in employment and able to demonstrate they can pay the rent. Tenants are issued a six-month assured shorthold tenancy agreement.

  • Market rent guide (pdf, 129kb)
    sets out what you need to do to find a home and covers deposits and other fees, references, information on the tenancy and the bills and services you would be responsible for.

We're accredited by The National Approved Letting Scheme, a Government-backed scheme which offers peace of mind to tenants through the knowledge that the firm they are dealing with offers clearly defined levels of customer service and standards.

Rent a home — intermediate market rent

Intermediate market rents are normally 20% lower than open market rates. If you want to rent one of these homes, you’ll need to first register with Homes for Londoners.

You will be required to complete a financial assessment with your prospective landlord.

We're accredited by The National Approved Letting Scheme, a Government-backed scheme which offers peace of mind to tenants through the knowledge that the firm they are dealing with offers clearly defined levels of customer service and standards.

View intermediate market rent listings

Rent a home — social housing

What is social housing?
Social housing is rented accommodation, often allocated according to need. It is let under secure or assured tenancies.

Who is eligible?
This is determined by local authorities, and people are prioritised according to the banding they are given.

How do I apply?
Complete an application form at your local council. They will assess your housing need and may house you, put you on a waiting list or advise you of alternative options.

Bid for a property via choice-based lettings
If you are accepted and your council runs a choice-based lettings scheme, you can view and bid for Peabody properties instead of going on a waiting list.

Buy a home - options for Peabody tenants

There are a number of ways you can potentially buy a home if you’re a Peabody or CBHA tenants:

Right to Buy and Right to Acquire

This gives you the option to buy your current home at a discount. As of April 2012, the Government increased this discount to up to £75,000.

This is a scheme primarily for council tenants, however, if you have a secure tenancy with us, you could be entitled to Preserved Right to Buy. 

If you don’t qualify for Right to Buy, you may qualify for Right to Acquire (see below).

Learn more about Right to buy

Buy a home — options for non-Peabody tenants

Shared ownership

You can find Peabody shared ownership homes on the Peabody Sales website.

Another source is Share to Buy where you'll also find homes sold by other housing associations. This is a free service for people looking for low cost options to buy a home. Once you’ve registered and been accepted, you can search for shared ownership properties.

Private sale

Register your interest in available private homes or those soon to be launched on our Peabody Sales website. We plough the profits we generate from the sales of our unique new homes back into affordable housing and our community services.

View Peabody private sale and shared ownership homes

Homes in development

Many of our housing developments have received industry recognition for their innovative design and community focus. New Peabody homes will be available through various schemes, including shared ownership, Affordable Rent, outright sale, housing for older people.

View Peabody homes in development

Swap a home

If you have a Peabody secure or assured tenancy, you can swap your home with Peabody, other housing association and council tenants. This is known as a mutual exchange.

Other opportunities

The following schemes are available to Peabody residents and administered by external agencies:

Homes for the over 50s

Referrals

Referrals for homes for the over-50s come from the local authority. Please contact your local council to find out more.

Older people's shared ownership scheme

Aged 55 or above? You may be able to buy shared ownership of a property in London through the Older People’s Shared Ownership scheme, run by Help to Buy. This is a free service, for people looking for low-cost options to rent or buy a home.

Please visit Homes for Londoners for more information.

Supported Housing

Our supported housing schemes provide both housing and support to help vulnerable people live as independently as possible in the community. Each scheme specialises in meeting a particular support need, such as disability, mental health or substance misuse.
Please contact your local council to find out about the supported schemes in your area.

People with long-term disabilities

You may be able to buy shared ownership of a property in London through the Home Ownership for People with Long-term Disabilities (HOLD) scheme, run by Share to Buy. This is a free service, run by housing providers London and Quadrant and Metropolitan Home Ownership, for people looking for low-cost options to rent or buy a home.

Looking for supported housing for older people? 

Visit Homes for the over 50s