• Application form and guidance for Christchurch Borough Council
• Guidance for East Dorset District Council's Homefinder scheme currently operated by East Dorset Housing Association, and an application form
• Guidance for North Dorset District Council's HomeChoice scheme and an application form
• Guidance for Purbeck District Council's HomeChoice scheme and an application form
• Guidance for West Dorset District Council's HomeChoice scheme and an application form
• Guidance for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council's HomeChoice scheme and application form

Councils in Dorset currently allocate available properties in different ways. Homes in Christchurch are offered when an application comes to the top of the waiting list. In East and West Dorset applicants bid for housing using a choice based lettings system.

If you are interested in affordable home ownership, you also need to be on the waiting list held by Southwest Homes (opens in a new window) .

If you are already a Housing Association tenant and would like to move you may be eligible to be considered for a mutual exchange. This is where you enter into a legal agreement with your landlord and swap homes with another Housing Association or council tenant. Your landlord will have more information or you can visit www.homeswapper.co.uk (opens in a new window) .

• Housing register

  All councils keep a list of those waiting for social housing which is referred to as the housing register.

• HomeChoice

  HomeChoice choice based lettings is a new way of allocating social housing.

• Low cost home ownership

  Low cost home ownership is designed to help people who cannot afford to buy a home outright and need financial assistance.

• Christchurch Borough Council

  We hold our own housing register. Your application will be assessed according to our allocations policy.

• East Dorset District Council

  Find information on housing allocations in East Dorset.

• North Dorset District Council

  North Dorset District Council runs the waiting list and the housing is supplied by housing associations and organisations.

• Purbeck District Council

  HomeChoice is our way of letting the housing association properties which become available to let in our area.

• West Dorset District Council

  We hold our own housing register. Your application will be assessed according to our allocations policy and will be placed into either the green, amber or red band, depending on your identified housing need.

• Weymouth and Portland Borough Council

  Although Weymouth and Portland Borough Council no longer owns any housing stock, we continue to maintain the housing register for all the housing associations with properties in the borough.

• Housing consultation

  The system of choice based lettings (CBL) which allocates affordable housing to those that have applied for it, is in operation in most Dorset authorities. We want to make this system even better and provide even more choice and opportunity for applicants.