Applying for social housing

New applicants

If this is the first time you are applying for social housing with Slough you will find the information you need here.

Please note there are currently delays in assessing applications. Your application will initially be assessed under our current Housing Allocation Scheme 2018 but as the new Housing Allocations Scheme 2026 comes into effect on 30 November, your application will then be re-assessed under the new 2026 Housing Allocation Scheme. This makes sure we are consistent and fair to all applicants. 

Social housing demand and waiting times

There are many more people waiting for a social home than there are properties available. Most people on the housing register will never be offered a home. If you are awarded Band B or C after your application is assessed, the waiting time can be many years. You should consider your other options, which include private rented housing or moving to areas where there is more affordable housing available. You can also find out about low-cost home ownership options.

6 Steps to joining the social housing register

Step 1. Check you are eligible

Before you apply to join the social housing register check if you are eligible at the GOV.UK site. You can only apply if you are eligible.

Step 2. Complete the application

Please complete the housing register application form:

Housing register application form

The online application form is only available to people living at an address within the Slough Borough Council area. If you live outside the borough and believe you are eligible to join Slough’s housing register, please email HousingRegister@slough.gov.uk.

In your email, please provide your name, current address and telephone number, and briefly explain why you believe you are eligible to apply. We will review your circumstances and, where appropriate, send you a paper application form by post.

What happens next

Once we receive your completed application, we will assess it and assign a housing band based on the information you have provided.

If you are later shortlisted for a housing offer, we will contact you through the contact details you’ve provided to confirm or request any further supporting documents. You will then have:

• 24 hours to respond (if contacted on a weekday), or
• 96 hours (if contacted over a weekend).

If you do not provide the requested information in time, we will move on to the next eligible applicant. We will then contact you again so you can send the missing documents.

Step 3. Inform us of any changes

You must inform us of any changes in circumstances that might affect your application. Check what changes of circumstances you should inform us about.

Step 4. Regularly renew your application

We will regularly ask you to renew your application to make sure you still meet the eligibility criteria and ensure you are in the correct priority band. You must respond to our request within one calendar month. If you do not, we will cancel your application. We will not send reminders, so respond as soon as you can. We cannot accept late responses.

Step 5. Keep contact details updated

If we contact you to offer a home and cannot reach you for 24 hours (not including weekends), we will cancel your application and count it as a refusal. We will contact you through the contact details you’ve provided. If your contact details have changed, complete the Housing Services contact us form with the details you need to update.

Step 6. Accept or refuse an offer

If your application was successful, you will either be told which property you have been awarded or how long the anticipated wait is until you will receive a property. Find out more about accepting or rejecting the housing offer.