Housing and homes FAQs

If you are homeless or worried about becoming homeless we can help and support you. The Council has a range of legal duties to help people. This may involve giving advice and information or finding longer term housing.

You should be aware that emergency accommodation and social housing is not always available to people facing homelessness, particularly single people. We will encourage you to try and stay with family and friends in the short term whilst looking for private rented accommodation, which is the quickest way to find a new home in Hastings.

For more information, please go to our  I'm at risk of being or already am homeless page.

You will need to get them. We cannot assist you without this documentation. If you require a birth certificate you will need to know which borough you were born in. You can go to the registry office in that area and pay for a copy of your full birth certificate or you can order one from www.gov.uk.

Please call 01424 451100.

If you are a Registered Provider tenant, please contact your Registered Provider's Housing Officer for assistance.

If you are renting privately, contact your landlord/letting agent and report the issues to them.

You can also contact the Hastings and Rother Mediation Service for help to arrange a mediation meeting.

If you are in immediate danger, please contact the Police on 999, or you can also use 101 to give information to the police or make an enquiry. Or report it online to Sussex Police. 

For more information, please go to our I'm renting page.

For more information, please go to our I have a concern about living conditions in my property page.

There are a range of government schemes to help low-income households get a foot on the property ladder. These affordable housing schemes are designed to help people, usually first time buyers, who cannot afford to buy a property that suits their household needs on the open market.

Sussex Homemove (also known as the Housing Register) is the choice based lettings scheme that Hastings Borough Council uses to advertise social housing properties available in Hastings.

You will need to complete an online pre-assessment to see if you are eligible for social housing. If you are eligible you will then be asked to complete an online application form.

At the end of the online application form you will also be asked to upload or bring in supporting documents. Your application will be assessed once we have received all your supporting documents. This will take up to four weeks.

If your application is accepted, we will let you know and then you can bid for properties on Sussex Homemove.

More information and how to apply can be found on our Sussex Homemove page.