Welcome to RBC Living & Homes

Runnymede Council aims to provide advice and assistance for applicants looking for accommodation in the Borough. Applying to join the Housing Register however, is only one option and not everyone will qualify to join. It is important that you carefully read the Eligibility and Qualification sections of the Allocations Policy which sets out clearly who does /does not qualify. A good example of this is local connection. If you do not meet the local connection criteria you will not be able to join.

More information on joining the housing register can be found in the Scheme User Guide.

The demand for housing is extremely high and we do not have enough social housing to meet that demand. We encourage applicants to look at other options such as private renting and shared ownership, details of which are available on this website.

If you are homeless, threatened with homelessness or need housing advice please call into our Housing Advice drop in service in the reception area of the Civic Offices. For opening times, please click here.

All Local Authorities need to have a Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy. Form more information on Runnymede Borough Council's strategy please click here.

This website also contains a wide selection of factsheets and useful links covering a range of housing issues that may be affecting you.

Housing Solutions

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness please call into the housing advice desk for assistance, open Monday to Friday in the reception area of the Civic Offices in Addlestone. This is a drop in service and appointments cannot be made. You may have to wait to be seen.

For opening times, please click here.

If you are homeless and aged 16 or 17 years old, please contact the Youth Homelessness Prevention Service on (01483) 519198 or email ysshomeless.prevention@surreycc.gov.uk. If you need to contact them outside of office hours, you can do so on (01483) 517898. Click here for more information on youth homelessness prevention in Surrey.

If you need homelessness assistance out of office hours please call Safer Runnymede on 01932 425060. This is only for emergencies and if you are genuinely homeless with no other options. This may result in a placement in a B & B which may be anywhere depending on vacancies. You will then need to then attend the Civic Offices the following working day for a full assessment of your situation. We do not provide money or travel warrants under any circumstances. We also assist in emergencies for severe weather events.

If you are rough sleeping and have nowhere to stay, then the housing options officers will be able to provide you with help and advice. You will need to attend the drop in service at the Civic Offices. Our Emergency Housing Information leaflet provides contact details for hostels that may be able to help you. If you wish to report someone who you are concerned is rough sleeping please visit Street Link or contact Safer Runnymede on 01932 425060.

Please do not allow your current circumstances to reach crisis point before you make contact with us. Early intervention is crucial if we are to support you and prevent your homelessness. We will require proof of who you are and we will want to know about your current housing circumstances so please bring as much information with you as possible.

We work closely with the Home Office and we do check eligibility for residence in the UK if we have any doubt about an applicant's status

We expect all applicants to work with us to resolve their housing situation and we will be asking what you have done when you approach for help. It is vital that everyone understands there is not enough social housing to meet demand and all options need to be considered. The Council does use private rented accommodation to house applicants where we have a full duty to assist and there is no fast track route into social housing.

Homelessness Strategy 2019 - 2024

All Local Authorities need to have a Homelessness & Rough Sleeping Strategy which sets out how they will prevent and address homelessness in the area. The strategy sets out our four aims and objectives which we will monitor over the life of the strategy and update after 12 months on progress.

The current strategy was consulted upon before publication on our corporate website and this website. We also consulted staff and Councillors, partner agencies and stakeholders. The progress of the strategy is monitored by the Council’s Homelessness Task Group which meets quarterly.

Homelessness Strategy

If you would like more information on this subject, please contact Andrew Kefford, Head of Housing Solutions housingsolutions@runnymede.gov.uk

Discharging Homeless Duty into the Private Rental Sector

Under the Localism Act 2011, new powers were granted to the local authority that allow for the ending of the main homeless duty with the offer of suitable, good quality, private rental accommodation. More information on how the council use the Private Rental Sector can be found in the Homeless Discharge Policy and in a Factsheet below.

Runnymede Housing & Homelessness Statistics

For more information on the Runnymede’s Housing and Homelessness statics please visit Shelter databank.

Housing advice factsheets

The housing advice factsheets are designed to assist you with different issues that may affect you, your household or someone you know. The factsheets also explain what to expect from the housing advice service if you approach for help and contact numbers for accessing the service.

Factsheet 1 - What to expect when you contact us

Factsheet 2 - If you are Homeless in an emergency, including placement in B&B

Factsheet 3 - Have you been served with a section 21 Notice from your Landlord?

Factsheet 4 - Are your parents threatening to evict you from the family home?

Factsheet 5 - Domestic Abuse

Factsheet 6 - Welfare Reform

Factsheet 7 - Joining the Runnymede Housing Register

Factsheet 7A - Advice for Runnymede tenants

Factsheet 8 - How to end a tenancy

Factsheet 9 - Mortgage Advice

Factsheet 10 - Relationship breakdown and home rights

Factsheet 11 - Tied accommodation

Factsheet 12 - Universal Credit

Factsheet 13 - Universal credit and out of work benefits

Factsheet 14 - Benefit Cap

Factsheet 15 - Discharging homeless duty into the private rented sector

Factsheet 16 - Temporary Accommodation

Factsheet 17 - Eligibility and Qualification to Join the Housing Register

HousingCare.org
A charity run site providing free advice on elderly care, including specialist directories & information on nursing homes and residential care homes, as well as sheltered housing, extra care housing and retirement villages, across the UK. Also providing over 2,000 sales and lettings vacancies every week.

Runnymede Care & Repair is a Home Improvement Agency operated by Runnymede Borough Council. We provide advice and support to assist elderly, disabled and vulnerable people in the maintenance and adaptation of their home. We can help with a whole range of work to make your house safer and more comfortable for you to live in and to help maintain your independence and dignity.

Information on Help To Buy

Please click here to access the zone agents for the South East, BPHA for details about Help to Buy. Please contact BPHA directly with any queries about low cost shared ownership. This is a current list of shared ownership best buys

The HCA calculator will also help you to see if you are likely to be eligible for this type of ownership and the mortgage rates will give you an idea of the rates available for a low cost home ownership mortgage. Please click here for more information.

The independent allocations for Runnymede does not allow applicants to register if they have earnings or savings in excess of £50,000 per annum which is a joint household assessment therefore low cost shared ownership is an option to be considered if you fall into this income,/savings range.

Runnymede cannot give financial advice to applicants so you are advised to contact BPHA or an independent financial advisor if you are thinking about low cost shared ownership. Runnymede does not hold a register for shared ownership and applicants will need to register directly with BPHA.