The council owns just over 3,000 properties in Thanet. These are managed by East Kent Housing, an organisation that performs landlord duties for Thanet, Canterbury, Dover, and Shepway councils.
Other properties are available to rent at lower cost than market rent from various housing associations and other registered housing providers. There are approximately 4,000 of this type of home in Thanet today.
If you are over the age of 55, sheltered housing is available from various housing associations. You will need to be on the council’s Housing Register to be able to apply.
To apply for any of these homes, you must be on Thanet Council’s Housing Register.
Unless you have a housing need with high priority, you may be waiting some time on the Housing Register before you make a successful bid for housing. You may prefer to rent privately. Find information about renting in the private sector.
If you have been accepted onto the Housing Register, you will be eligible to see and bid for available social housing properties using Kent Homechoice.
Kent Homechoice gives you more choice about where you want to live. You have the chance to express an interest in vacant homes that are suitable for you. It also gives you a better idea of the properties available in your area.
Kent Homechoice will advertise empty council and housing association homes daily that are available to let. Properties will be advertised on the internet and via digital television. You can look at the adverts and bid for any homes you wish to be considered for providing you are eligible.
Please note, we will only contact successful applicants when an offer is to be made and if you hear nothing you must assume you have not been successful at this time. Unfortunately, officers within the housing options team do not have the resources to notify you if you are not successful.
We will provide feedback on previous properties that have been advertised so you will be able to see the band that the successful bidder for each property was in and length of time the applicant had been in that priority band. Please be aware that Local Lettings Plans may apply on some developments.
Where there are no expressions of interest from eligible applicants, a property will be re-advertised or a direct let will be considered.
All applications for social housing must be made online. Paper application forms are no longer available. You must also tell us if you move address, or if your circumstances change using the main online application form.
Use this form to tell us about a new baby.
Please note that any details you give on your application form may be shared with a number of Housing Associations that we work with as partners.
If you have a medical condition or disability, which is being made worse by your current accommodation, you may be awarded higher priority on the Housing Register.
We would ask you to complete a Self-Certification Medical Form and supply, where possible, any supporting medical information to assist us with an assessment.
Thanet Council adopted a Housing allocation policy Applicants will have to meet new eligibility criteria to be accepted onto the Housing Register
Under our Allocations Policy you will only be eligible to be on the Housing Register if you have a specific housing need. The definition of housing need is specific and includes criteria relating to overcrowding, under-occupation living in unsanitary housing conditions or having serious medical and/or welfare needs and does not include experiencing financial difficulty.
In addition to having a specific housing need you will only be eligible to be on the Housing Register if you meet all of the following criteria;
Please note: If you do not meet the above criteria you will not be considered for social housing in Thanet and therefore should not apply.
Once your application is verified, you will be placed into one of four priority ‘Bands’ A, B, C or D dependent on the level of housing need and your circumstances.
All applications for social housing must be made online.
For help about how to do this, view our video on YouTube .
For more information on the Housing Register, please contact:
Housing Options Team, Community Services Department, Thanet District Council, PO Box 9, Cecil Street, Margate, Kent CT9 1XZ
If you need re-housing immediately Find more housing advice here.
Please note that any details you give on your application form may be shared with a number of Housing Associations that we work with as partners. We may also share information provided to us with other bodies responsible for auditing or administering public funds, in order to prevent and detect fraud.
The government’s Cabinet Office is responsible for carrying out data matching exercises.
Data matching involves comparing computer records held by one body against other computer records held by the same or another body. This is usually personal information. Computerised data matching allows potentially fraudulent claims and payments to be identified. Where a match is found it indicates that there is an inconsistency which requires further investigation. No assumption can be made as to whether there is fraud, error or other explanation until an investigation is carried out.
The Cabinet Office requires us to participate in a data matching exercise to assist in the prevention and detection of fraud. We are required to provide particular sets of data to the Cabinet Office for matching for each exercise, more information can be found at; https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-fraud-initiative
The processing of data by the Cabinet Office in a data matching exercise is carried out with statutory authority under its powers in Part 6 of the Local Audit and Accountability Act 2014. It does not require the consent of the individuals concerned under the Data Protection Act 1998.
For further information on the Cabinet Office’s legal powers and the reasons why it matches particular information, view the fair processing full text “
If you have been accepted onto the Housing Register, you will be eligible to see and bid for available social housing properties using Kent Homechoice.