Renting an Eastlight home

It’s important to live in a safe and secure home that you can feel proud of. Learn more about how to apply for an Eastlight home below.

Eastlight resident sitting in a sofa
Applying for a home

We don't hold our own waiting list. Most of our homes are let to those nominated by their local council (who hold the waiting lists) or who bid via Choice Based Lettings ( see below) for vacancies. How you apply for your new home will be different depending on where you want to live. 

Homes in Colchester, Braintree, Maldon, or Babergh districts are let through the Choice Based Lettings system. You must register on the Gateway to Homechoice website at https://www.gatewaytohomechoice.org.uk/

For homes in Chelmsford, contact Home Option via email at mailto:housingregister@chelmsford.gov.uk or call 01245 606640.

For homes in Uttlesford, please contact Uttlesford District Council via their website.

For homes in the Tendring area please register with Tendring District Council either online on their website or by phone on 01255 686466.

For homes in the Rochford area, please register online with Rochford Council via their website or call 01702 546366.

For homes in the Broadland and South Norfolk Area, please register online with Broadland District Council and South Norfolk Council via their joint website, or call 01603 431133 for Broadland, or 01508 533701 for South Norfolk. 

About Gateway to Homechoice

The majority of our homes are let through Gateway to Homechoice (see section above) which includes information on homes available in eight different council areas. Once registered, you will be able to see details and apply for available properties that suit your needs.

If you are already an existing Eastlight resident, you will be asked to provide a reference based on how you have complied with your tenancy conditions, including paying your rent, anti-social behaviour history and how you have looked after your home. This may include a visit to your home.

You can register by visiting the Gateway to Homechoice website and completing the registration form.

Once your application has been accepted, you will be assigned a banding to signify your housing priority. 

You will be contacted by letter to request documentation to support your housing application. You will then be given your log-in number and password. 

When your application has been verified, you can start bidding on the homes of your choice – with a limit of two each week. It doesn’t matter whether you are the first or last to bid, as applicants are arranged in order of their band and effective date.

See the next section to find out what happens if you're shortlisted for a home. 

Being shortlisted for a home

If you have been shortlisted for a home, we will contact you to give you the chance to accept the offer. We offer an in-person viewing, as well as video-viewing of the home you are interested in.

Once an offer of a home is accepted within the deadline given to you, our specialist team are here to guide you through the sign-up process and ensure that the transition to a new home is as smooth as possible. 

Other options to move home

We can help you exchange or swap your home with another Eastlight resident or a resident of another housing association or council through a Mutual Exchange.

For more information, please click here to read our Moving Out page

Contact us

If you have any questions, please do get in touch so we can discuss them. We are here for you.

An Eastlight staff member on the phone