Renting from a council or housing association

Salford Home Search

Salford Home Search is a way of letting properties in Salford, for independent living. This scheme gives you more choice when looking for your new home in Salford. It allows you to search for and choose properties that are suited to your needs.

How does it work?

  • You register your details on the Salford Home Search
  • You will be placed in one of three 'categories' based on your housing need and circumstances; these categories are:
    • Main Duty Statutory Homelessness
    • General Housing Needs
    • Accessible Accommodation
  • Once you have registered and your application has been accepted, you can place an 'expression of interest' on any property that is advertised in your band that meets your specific needs.
  • If more than one person places an 'expression of interest' on a property, everyone who applies will be prioritised based upon their eligibility for that home, the number of priority points awarded to the application, and then by the date of their application. To find more details about applications are prioritised, go to the Salford Home Search FAQs page.
  • If you are eligible for the homeless category (under section 193, Part VII, Housing Act 1996), you will be prioritised for housing based on the (Section 193) main statutory homelessness duty decision date See the FAQs page for more details.
  • If an applicant or someone in their family needs wheelchair adapted or accessible housing, they should submit a completed medical assessment form. Following an assessment, the applicant will be placed in one of following three subcategories of accommodation that best reflects their housing needs:
    • adapted wheelchair accommodation
    • level access accommodation
    • accommodation that has no more than a few steps
  • All accessible/adapted accommodation is advertised in the Accessible Accommodation category. Please go to the FAQs page for more details.

What is an 'expression of interest'?

An expression of interest is a way of registering your interest in one of the properties advertised by Salford Home Search.

Who advertises properties through Salford Home Search?

The following organisations can advertise their available properties through Salford Home Search:

  • Housing associations
  • Sheltered housing organisations
  • Accredited private landlords

Who is eligible?

To register with Salford Home Search you will need to be:

  • Over the age of 16
  • Living in the United Kingdom and not be under immigration control
  • In order to ensure that the needs of the local community are met, a person who does not have a local connection to Salford is not a qualifying person under the scheme

Local connection

  • Residence – must have lived in Salford in settled accommodation for a period of two years.
  • Employment – must have a contract of permanent employment and work within the city, continuously for a period of six months. It is not sufficient that the employers’ head office is located within the city.
  • Family association – the applicant must have an active established relationship with a parent, adult sibling or adult child living in Salford in settled accommodation for a minimum of five years.
  • Armed Forces – current or former armed forces who have left within five years of their application, have suffered serious injury or disability which is attributable in whole or part to that service, a spouse or civil partner who is or was living in Ministry of Defence accommodation and whose former spouse or civil partner was a serviceman whose death was attributable in whole or part to their service. Divorced or separated spouses or civil partners of service personnel who need to move out of accommodation provided by the ministry of defence
  • Special circumstances – including applicants fleeing violence and to whom the local authority owe a duty because they are homeless or who are not currently resident in Salford but who need to move in order to give or receive care and support. These cases will be considered on a case by case basis and the decision will be made by the service manager.
  • Former asylum seekers – will have a local connection to Salford if their application for asylum was determined whilst living in accommodation in Salford provided under Section 96 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and they have been granted the right to remain.

Mutual exchange

If you are a social tenant and wish to move you may also be eligible for a mutual exchange, for more information please contact your landlord directly.

Important contacts

Contact details for Salford Home Search can be found by visiting the contacts page or by phoning them on 0161 793 3282.

This page was last updated on 27 September 2021

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