Epping Forest District Council

We are a district council in West Essex, covering Buckhurst Hill, Chigwell, Epping, Loughton, Ongar and Waltham Abbey. 

To be considered for council or housing association properties you need to be on our housing register. Because there are few properties available and high demand for accommodation we need to prioritise who qualifies for the housing register.

There is a severe shortage of social housing in the Epping Forest district. As a result, most applicants on the housing register will have to wait a long time for rehousing. We would therefore strongly suggest that you consider other housing options such as privately renting before applying to go on the housing register.

If you are a local authority or housing association tenant, have you thought about swapping with another tenant? HomeSwapper is an online mutual exchange register. Anyone can register and view possible swaps. This service is free to Epping Forest District Council tenants. You can visit HomeSwapper via this link - http://www.homeswapper.co.uk

If you have been accepted onto our housing register, you will need to actively search for available council properties on the HomeOption website. Details on how to do this will be sent to you once your application has been accepted.

Available vacant homes are advertised on the HomeOption website each week. If you are unable to place bids yourself or do not have anyone who can do so on your behalf, please contact the Rehousing Team for further advice.

Homeseekers can express an interest in up to 3 properties each cycle. Available homes will be offered to the homeseekers who have the highest priority banding and have been waiting longest. This is subject to satisfactory verification checks at the time the offer is made.

If you need help with your online application contact a member of the Rehousing Team on 01992 564716, Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm or email rehousing@eppingforestdc.gov.uk.