Find a home
Everything you need to know about applying, bidding and understanding your chances
Unfortunately we are not able to provide emergency housing assistance. If you are in urgent need of housing because you are homeless or about to become homeless, please contact Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council's Homelessness Assessment, Prevention and Support Services (HAPSS) on 01639 685219 or visit their website here.
We manage around 9000 homes across Neath Port Talbot. Available properties are advertised each week from 8:30am on Friday until 12:00pm on Monday. During this time, you can view and apply for homes that are available to let.
If you're on our waiting list, you can bid for homes that meet your needs. Properties are offered to people with the highest housing need. Where applicants have the same level of need, priority is given to the person with the longest date in their band. If you're not yet on our waiting list, you can apply here.
For more information, please visit our frequently asked questions page.
Your journey: From application to offer
Application received
Evidence checked (ID, household, health/welfare where relevant)
Applications may be 'held' if information is missing
You can start the application process here
Applications assessed against the banding criteria
Band reflects level of housing need, not length of time waiting.
We aim to assess applications within 60 days of them being submitted
Properties advertised on our website
Each available home is given a category
You can bid on any home that matches the category you have been given
All bids are considered based on your band and how long you have been in your band
Click here to see our frequently asked questions
Highest priority applicant who meets eligibility is shortlisted
Given the high amount of bids received it will not be possible to contact unsuccessful bidders
One suitable provisional offer is made
Further checks (affordability, suitability, verification)
Offer of property subject to checks being supported by our applications team
Apply for housing Homes by Choice: Available properties Currently available to let FAQsShared Lettings Policy
Understanding the demand
Many people apply for our properties each week, which means demand exceeds the number of properties available. During 2025/26, almost 21,000 bids were placed for just 447 properties that became available.
Based on the years 2024/25 and 2025/26, applicants waited an average of 539 days from submitting their application to moving into their new property.
The majority of successful applicants were in the following priority bands:
Urgent Band – 46%
Gold Band – 30%
Silver and Bronze Bands – 24%
Demand can be especially high in certain areas. For example, in one of our areas (Sandfields, Port Talbot) 67 available properties attracted more than 5,000 bids, meaning only around 1 in every 100 applicants was successful.
What this means for you
While we encourage everyone to apply for suitable properties, being flexible about location and property type may improve your chances of being offered a property sooner.
Myth-busting
Myth | Fact |
|---|---|
People from other countries automatically get housing | Strict legal rules apply. Housing is based on need |
Asylum seekers get social housing | Only those granted certain immigration status are eligible for housing |
Being the first to bid on a property gives me an advantage | All bids are treated equally, according to band and time. When the bid was made is not taken into account |
Waiting longer increases my priority | Your band determines your waiting time. Within that band, priority is given to those who've been waiting longest |
Staff will just choose the people they like | Allocations are made based on our policy and legislation |