Apply to join the Common Housing Register

The Common Housing Register

Instead of different waiting lists, the council works with housing associations in Rugby to produce a Common Housing Register.

Eligible applicants only have to fill in one application form to be considered for housing by the council or a housing association operating in Rugby.

Who can join the Common Housing Register?

The council operates a waiting list system, with applicants at the top of the list offered vacant properties. A banding system determines the applicant's housing priority.

Applicants who refuse two suitable offers of accommodation will be removed from the register. Applicants who have been accepted as homeless will be moved into priority band three if one offer of suitable accommodation is refused.

The council defines 'suitable' in line with both its Housing Allocations Policy and parts 6 and 7 of the Housing Act 1996.

We're currently upgrading our online application service, so to apply to join the Common Housing Register, please download and complete the application form.

Download the housing waiting list application form (PDF and Microsoft Word versions available)

In order for your application to be registered, you must supply proof of your - and other household members' - identity, immigration status, income and savings, and current address.

Please provide your photo ID ( ie passport) and photo ID for any joint applicant. If you or a joint applicant do not hold a passport, please supply a passport size photo in addition to the documents you provide to confirm your identity. You can provide a photo card driving licence. However, this does not confirm your immigration status if you were born outside the UK.

If your housing application relates to one of the below, please provide evidence of your housing need:

medical grounds
unsatisfactory housing conditions
someone in your household is pregnant
serving or former member of the armed forces
providing or receiving care

Please return your completed waiting list application form in the PDF format provided (one complete document, not photographed or scanned separate pages). Photographs of documents submitted as evidence to support your application must be clear and legible (one photograph per document), and attached to your email.

The subject line of your application email should contain your full name. Send your application to: waitinglistapplications@rugby.gov.uk

IMPORTANT NOTICE - Change to waiting list services

Effective from Monday 1 December 2025, the waiting list team will no longer offer a drop-in service due to increased workloads.

Please submit completed forms and supporting documents using one of the following methods:

email - send attachments to waitinglistapplications@rugby.gov.uk
hand-delivery via secure post box - located inside the Town Hall
post - send to our official postal address: Waiting List Team, Rugby Borough Council, Town Hall, Evreux Way, Rugby, CV21 2RR

For general enquiries, email your questions to waitinglistapplications@rugby.gov.uk or call (01788) 533832.

Independent support on offer for applicants

Customers with no access to the internet or who need support completing an application can contact:

The Benn Partnership Centre, Railway Terrace, Rugby, CV21 3HR. Call (01788) 553033 or email info@bennpartnership.org.uk
P3, The Robbins Building, Unit 5, Henry Street, Rugby, CV21 2QA. Call 0808 1646220 or email warks@p3charity.org
The Citizens Advice Bureau, Chestnut House, North Street, Rugby, CV21 2AG (entrance via North Street car park). Call (01788) 566238 or email advisor@brancab.org
Rugby Library, Little Elborow Street, Rugby, CV21 3BZ. Paid for photocopying and printing service available.

Please note - all requested supporting information must be submitted within 28 days of making your application. If you need longer to submitt the requested documentation, you must let us know as soon as possible so we can make a decision on whether to extend the deadline for submission.

Failure to supply all requested information or agree an extended deadline for submission results in the cancellation of your application. Should you still wish to register on the waiting list, you'll need to submit a new application.

We work with the following housing associations:

Orbit Heart of England
Midland Heart
Mercian Housing
LHA ASRA Group

You can make a direct application to Clarion Housing and Sanctuary Housing to register for a housing association home in the Rugby area.

Who can join the Common Housing Register?

Anyone 16-years-old or over and deemed eligible can apply for housing on the Common Housing Register.

For information on eligibility criteria, download the council's housing allocations policy

Applicants with a local connection to the borough of Rugby usually receive priority - 'local connection' defined as:

you currently live, or have lived, in the borough of Rugby for at least six out of the last 12 months, or three out of the last five years
you have immediate family (mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter, grandparents, step-relatives, adoptive parents) who currently live in the borough and have done for at least five years
you have a contract of employment in the borough (if you have a zero-hours contract, you must prove you have worked in the borough during the previous four weeks, with proof required at both the point of application and when you receive an offer of a property
you need to care for, or receive care from, someone who lives in the borough (we request evidence from a professional agency to support the requirement to care for, or receive care from)

The above criteria does not apply to the following:

applicants moving into the borough to take up work or escape violence
applicants connected to the armed forces
applicants who meet the reasonable preference criteria as set out in the Housing Act 1996, section 166 (3) but have no local connection (in these circumstances, we applicants in band three)
social housing tenants who need to move due to working in the borough, or being offered work in the borough and has a genuine intention to accept the offer

What happens if I am unhappy with a decision about my application?

You can request a review of any decision made by the council on your housing application under Part VI of the Housing Act 1996.

For example, you may be unhappy with decisions about the facts of your case, which we take into account when considering your application for accommodation, or we have decided you're ineligible for a housing allocation due to your immigration status.

Our decision letters outline your right of review and provide guidance on the review process.

You can only request one review. If you disagree with the outcome of your review on the grounds we have not taken material facts into account, you can appeal to county court.

How to request a review

You can request a review in writing or verbally to a member of the housing advice and benefits team.

A review must be requested within 21 days of receipt of the council's decision letter.

How long does a review take?

We send you a written response outlining the outcome of the review, and the reasons for the outcome, within 56 days of the date the review was requested.

Who undertakes a review?

An officer senior to the officer who made the decision on your application, and who was not involved in the decision-making process, conducts the review of your application.

Pets in council accommodation

Pets are permitted in all council properties except for the multi-storey blocks. These blocks are not suitable for pets.

Dogs are discouraged at the very sheltered complexes at Albert Square, Frederick Press Way, Tanser Court and Lesley Souter House. The design of these blocks is not suitable for dogs. Applicants for these schemes may move in with their dogs but are encouraged not to own new dogs in future.