We cannot offer housing to most people who apply. The pressures and demands on council housing supply are increasing in Barking and Dagenham and all other London councils.

There are over 7,000 households on our waiting list (housing register) and only around 600 council homes become vacant each year. Even those in the most need may have a very long wait.  It is unlikely that you will be allocated any type of council housing and you will better off renting privately. If you are on a low income you can get help with rent payments by claiming Universal Credit. 

Apply for council housing

Find out more about renting privately. 

People on the housing register have told us that if they knew how unlikely it was that they would be housed by the council they would have considered other options like moving into private rented accommodation in cheaper areas.

There is a shortage of social (council) housing in London, but other areas across the UK have more availability. 

Homefinder UK helps those already on the council waiting list or who are homeless, find permanent social housing.     

The Mayor of London has produced a map showing average rents for all London postcodes, and you can check to see where you can afford to rent within your budget. 

If you have received an eviction notice or think you might become homeless soon, go to our homelessness prevention page.     

There are some exceptions to the requirement to currently live in this borough, or having continuously lived here for the last 3 years. They are listed in Section 4 of the housing allocation policy (PDF, 417KB).

Important information before you apply

We have a limited number of resources and it is very important that we are able to allocate these to those most in need. It is a criminal offence to give false information in order to attempt to secure housing or exaggerate your eligibility. If you tell us something that we find to be false we may prosecute you.

You must upload your documents within 15 days of submitting your application. If you do not your application will be closed.

Personal information

The personal information we collect from you will be shared with fraud prevention agencies who will use it to prevent fraud and money-laundering and to verify your identity. If fraud is detected, you could be refused certain services, finance, or employment. Further details of how your information will be used by us and these fraud prevention agencies, and your data protection rights, can be found on the Cifas website.