Homes to Rent

Social rent is usually rent that is paid to local authorities and registered providers, like Torus.

It is low-cost rent that is set by a government formula. This means it is significantly lower than the rent a tenant would pay in the normal market. Not everyone is eligible for social housing and so the next best alternative could be to aim for a provider that charges ‘affordable rent’.

Affordable rent is rent that is set at up to 80% of market rent (including service charges).

These properties of affordable rents are defined as ‘low cost’ rental accommodation and so also class as ‘social housing’. This means that they are regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing. This means that homes will remain more affordable than renting on the private rental market. You could argue that all rent should be ‘affordable’, but in this sense, it means 80% of market rent.

Affordable or social rented housing is available to any household who has a local connection and cannot afford to access market housing, regardless of whether you are working.

In many areas, all social housing is allocated by the council’s allocations policy, which means they have a waiting list of people who are interested.

Your local council will have a policy on who qualifies for social housing and who gets priority, called its housing allocation policy. You can ask to see this free of charge.

This type of housing is allocated according to housing need, with those whose current housing situation is the most unsuitable or have the greatest need will be given the highest priority.

Find out about applying for a rental home with Torus