Help with Homesearch

Before you apply for homes you need to be member of Homesearch. To become a member, fill out a housing application form on the Homesearch website.

1. Click 'Application form' under the 'New to Homesearch?' heading on the homepage. 

2. Fill out the form with your personal details such as your name, gender, date or birth, nationality, national insurance number and if it's just you applying or if you're applying with someone else. Please answer all the questions on the form. 

3. When you've submitted your application form, you will get a unique reference number which confirms your form has been sent to the team, you don't need to contact us and we'll be in touch when your application has been registered. If you don't get a reference number when you submit your application form, you will need to complete the form again.  

If you need help filling out the housing application form, please call the Homesearch Team on 0344 9 020 202. 

After you've sent off your housing application form and it's been processed by the team you will get a Homesearch Membership Number by email or letter. You need this number to register your account and create your login on the Homesearch website. 

1. Click 'Register' under the 'New to Homesearch' heading on the homepage.

2. Create a login, with your Homesearch Membership Number, surname and date of birth.

3. Create a user ID and password for your account. You will use this user ID and password every time you login to your account. 

4. You will then see a confirmation message that your account has been registered and you can now log in. 

Once you've registered your account details you can log in to your Homesearch account with your User ID and password.

1. Underneath the 'Already registered?' heading on the Homesearch homepage click 'Login to your account'.

2. Enter your User ID and password and click 'Login'. 

3. When you have logged in you will see the 'Welcome back' screen. 

1. On the Homesearch website click 'Available homes' from the menu at the top of the page.

2. Use the 'Home preferences' search option to choose the type of home, number of bedrooms and location you would like. 

3. Click 'Search' to see the available homes that match your preferences. 

If you see a home you'd like to live in you can express an interest in up to three homes each week, if you meet the advertised lettings criteria. On the Homesearch website:

1. Click 'Your account' from the menu at the top of the page. 

2. Enter your User ID and password to login to your account. 

3. When logged in click the 'Express an Interest' button. 

4. Scroll down on the page until you see the 'Express an Interest' box, this shows you the homes that you are suitable for. 

5. When you see a home that you would like to live in click the box underneath 'Interested' on the advert listing. 

6. You can express an interest in up to three homes per week. Underneath the second interested box choose a number from the drop-down list of one to three to mark your first, second and third choice. 

7. Once you have ticked the 'Interested' box for the homes you'd like scroll to the bottom of the page and click the 'Express interest' button. 

8. You will then see the 'Expression of interest' confirmation page and the adverts for the homes you have expressed an interest in will appear. 

To apply for most of our homes, you'll need to be a member Homesearch. However, if you are interested in one of our immediately available homes, you don't need to be a member. 

To join, you must meet one of the following criteria: 

• aged 17 or over 
• aged 16 and needing family type accommodation 
• aged 16 or over and looked after or owed a statutory duty of care by Wakefield Council 
• an eligible or qualifying person set out in Section 12 of our Homesearch Policy. 

You'll need to fill in a housing application form which will help us to see if you can join the scheme. It's important you answer all the questions on your application form. 

If eligible, you'll be sent a membership number by email or letter and you'll be able to view and express an interest in any advertised homes where you meet the required letting conditions. 

Once you become a member, you'll be placed in a band based on your housing need, which along with the Local Lettings Strategy (LLS), tells you which homes you can apply for. For more information on the banding please visit page 16 of our Homesearch membership guide. 

If you've been successful, a member of the Homesearch team will contact you as soon as possible after the advertising cycle has closed. You should keep making expressions of interest for homes you're interested in during the following advertising cycles if you're not contacted. Before we offer you a home, we'll need to do some checks. 

Yes, we'll contact you when the keys are available and arrange to show you round the home. If you want to accept it, we'll need you to sign the Tenancy Agreement.