On this page:
- Before you bid
- Median waiting times for successful bids
- How points are awarded
- Property size you can bid on
- How to bid for a property
- When to bid
- What happens next
Steps 5 of the council housing and housing associations: step-by-step guide.
Before you bid
Camden uses a process called choice-based lettings to allocate social housing. This gives applicants on the housing register greater choice over where they would like to live. Rather than wait to be allocated the next available property, bidding means that you express interest in a property that you like.
To be able to bid, you must be on Camden's housing register. Check if you're eligible and apply to join the housing register.
If you're accepted onto the housing register, we will send you a letter explaining:
- the number of housing points you have
- the greatest number of bedrooms you can apply for
- your user ID, PIN and security word to log in to Camden Home Connections
When you log into Home Connections, you'll be able to bid for properties. This is when you make an expression of interest in a property that matches your housing needs.
You should only bid on properties that you think will meet your needs. Bidding on properties that you're not interested in can impact other people's ability to view them.
Median waiting times for successful bids
These tables show the median waiting time (in years) for households that were successfully allocated a council home, shown by bed size, building type, and ward.
The median is the middle waiting time. This means that half of successful applicants waited less time than shown, and half waited longer.
| Ward name | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Belsize | 2.1 | 0.7 | 14.4 | N/A | 9.2 |
| Bloomsbury | 0.5 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 2.4 | 4.1 |
| Camden Square | 1.4 | 1.2 | 2.3 | 4.7 | 9.7 |
| Camden Town | 0.6 | 1.1 | 1.5 | 4.4 | 10.5 |
| Fortune Green | 1.1 | 1.0 | 4.7 | 3.4 | 3.3 |
| Frognal | N/A | 0.5 | 2.3 | 7.7 | N/A |
| Gospel Oak | 1.0 | 0.9 | 2.4 | 3.8 | 7.6 |
| Hampstead | 1.0 | 0.8 | 3.6 | 10.0 | 5.4 |
| Haverstock | 1.2 | 0.7 | 1.6 | 4.8 | 10.6 |
| Highgate | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 4.7 | 5.8 |
| Holborn and Covent Garden | 1.3 | 0.8 | 2.0 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
| Kentish Town North | 0.5 | 0.9 | 1.3 | 3.4 | 10.1 |
| Kentish Town South | 0.7 | 1.2 | 1.4 | 4.6 | 3.2 |
| Kilburn | 0.6 | 1.0 | 2.3 | 5.8 | 8.3 |
| Kings Cross | 0.8 | 0.8 | 2.4 | 4.8 | 17.3 |
| Primrose Hill | 0.8 | 1.2 | 2.4 | 4.5 | 15.9 |
| Regents Park | 1.5 | 0.9 | 1.6 | 3.8 | 7.7 |
| South Hampstead | 1.2 | 1.3 | 1.7 | 2.2 | 7.0 |
| St Pancras and Somers Town | 1.0 | 0.8 | 2.3 | 5.6 | 7.6 |
| West Hampstead | 1.9 | 1.0 | 2.0 | 0.9 | 7.3 |
| Building type | Studio | 1 bed | 2 bed | 3 bed | 4+ bed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Individual block | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.5 | 3.9 | 12.8 |
| Large estate | 1.0 | 0.9 | 1.8 | 4.5 | 9.2 |
| Small estate | 1.0 | 0.8 | 1.7 | 4.6 | 5.9 |
| Street property | 0.9 | 1.2 | 2.0 | 4.1 | 6.0 |
| Tower block | 1.0 | 0.7 | 2.2 | 4.5 | N/A |
N/A = no allocation
What these figures tell you
These statistics help show how long successful applicants between April 2021 to March 2026 have typically waited for different sizes of homes in different parts of Camden.
They can help you understand general patterns, such as:
- larger family homes often take longer to become available than smaller homes, no matter the building type or ward
- waiting times can vary between wards because some areas have more council homes becoming available than others
What these figures do not tell you
These figures cannot predict how long you will wait for a home.
Every housing application is different. The time you wait depends on a range of factors, including:
- your priority under Camden's Housing Allocations Scheme
- the number of bedrooms your household needs
- the areas you have chosen
- if you need ground floor, lifts or level access
- how many suitable homes become available
- the number and priority of other applicants waiting for the same type of home
Two applicants who need the same size home in the same ward may have very different waiting times because their circumstances are different.
Why some waiting times are much higher than others
Some property types—particularly larger family homes—become available very rarely. In some wards, only a small number of these homes are allocated each year.
Because the number of allocations can be small, the median waiting time can change considerably from year to year. A high median waiting time does not necessarily mean every applicant will wait that long, and a low median waiting time does not guarantee a quick offer for every applicant.
What this means for housing applicants
These statistics are provided to help explain past allocation patterns. They should be used as a guide only and should not be treated as an estimate of how long you personally will wait for housing.
If your housing needs or circumstances change while you are on the Housing Register, you should let the council know, as this may affect your application.
How points are awarded
All applications to join the register are assessed according to Camden's housing allocation scheme. This helps officers to assess need in a fair way across all applications. Points are awarded based on your housing circumstances.
Bed size
To calculate how many bedrooms you need we first look at the number of people in your household, their age and sex. We do this using the Camden bedroom standard which you can see on page 12 of the housing allocation scheme. There are also some exceptions to this. For example medical need.
Overcrowding
There are three points levels for overcrowding. We first work out the number of bedrooms you need. We then compare this with the number of rooms which you could use as a bedroom in your current home. This includes any room other than bathrooms, toilets, self-contained kitchens and utility rooms. An example would be a living room.
You will be eligible for 50 points if you have the same number of rooms as your bed need. You will be eligible for 100 points if you require an additional room, and 250 points if you need two or more rooms.
Annual points increases
We want to recognise the time households spend on the register in housing need. To do this, every year you will receive an additional 5% of the points award you have on the anniversary of your application.
If you have lived in Camden for 10 of the last 15 years it will be increased by 10% of the points award you have on the anniversary of your application. This is to recognise long-term residence in the borough.
These calculations will be based only on points you have received for your housing need. It will not include points awarded on previous anniversaries. It will also not include the 30 points awarded to council tenants applying for a transfer.
Property size that you can bid on
You cannot usually bid for properties larger than your assessed need. However, you can bid for council properties with one bedroom less if this will improve your current housing situation.
When placing a bid for a property you should expect to remain in this home for a long-time. If you bid successfully and move into a new home, your application will be closed. If you apply again your application will be based on your new housing circumstances. This means it's unlikely that you'll be able to move again unless your circumstances significantly change. Even then, there's no guarantee that you'll be successful in bidding as many households are in a similar position.
Large family-size properties bedrooms are very rare. In 2023 fewer than 60 3-bed and 25 4-beds became available. There are currently nearly 2,000 households with a 3-bed need, as well as nearly 500 with a 4-bed need who are also able to bid. More households also continue to join the register.
To reduce overcrowding, adult children living with you can complete their own housing application. However, a person can only be on one application at a time.
How to bid for a property
Find out how to:
- login 3:40, YouTube video with BSL
- bid for homes
- search for homes 3:26, YouTube video with BSL
When to bid
We advertise vacant properties weekly on the Home Connections website. Bidding opens every Thursday at 9am and closes on Monday at midnight. It does not matter when in the bidding cycle you make your bid, but it must be made before the bidding cycle closes. You will not be able to bid for properties larger than you need.
You must be prepared to accept a property that you bid on. When you bid for a property, you are telling us that you are expressing a serious interest in it.
What happens next
Once the bid cycle closes, we review the bids placed for each property. We shortlist applicants with the highest points. Applicants with a medical recommendation for a wheelchair accessible or ground floor property will be prioritised for these types of properties.
Please note that housing associations will only accept households who meet their bed-size criteria, with the larger bedroom going to the main applicant. This may mean that you are not shortlisted for a property.
Households with the greatest number of points or priority on the shortlist are offered the property. If you refuse, it will be offered to the next highest bidder. This continues until an applicant accepts the property.
When you accept a property, we check that your details and points total are still correct. It's important to tell us about a change of circumstances. Failure to keep your application up to date may result in losing the property. You'll also need to provide documentation. Examples include proof of identification, immigration status and address. This must be done within 72 hours of accepting your offer so you must make sure you have your documents ready. Find out more about the documents you need to provide.