When a council house or social house becomes available, the council or housing association will have their own system for making offers. They will either:

• offer it directly to someone on the waiting list

• advertise it in a choice-based system, where you can bid on available homes

If you're offered a home directly

Your offer should be in writing, and you should be given enough time to consider it. You'll only get one offer at a time.

Check how many offers you’ll get

There's usually a limit on how many reasonable offers you'll get. A reasonable offer means that the home is suitable for your needs.

Check the council or housing association’s allocations policy for how many offers they’ll make.

If you decide to refuse an offer, explain why. For example, if the home is too far away from your workplace. The council or housing association will usually take this into account when deciding which types of home to offer you in future.

If you think an offer is not reasonable

An offer could be unreasonable if the home is not suitable for your needs. For example:

• it’s too small for your family

• you’re disabled and it’s not adapted for your needs

• it’s in an area that would put you at risk of violence or harassment

You can ask for the offer to be withdrawn. This means it will not count towards the number of offers you get.

Check the council or housing association's policy to see if they have an appeal process. You can contact a Shelter Scotland adviser to help you to:

• check if an offer is unreasonable

• consider challenging an unsuitable offer in court

Bidding in choice-based systems

When a home is advertised that's suitable for your needs, you can bid for it.

There might be a limit on how many homes you can bid for at once.

If there are multiple bids for the same home, the person who has the highest priority will usually be offered the home. If 2 people have the same priority, the person who has been on the waiting list the longest will usually be offered the home.

If you accept a home

You’ll usually have a Scottish secure tenancy. This is open-ended, which means there's no end date. You have strong rights, and you can only be evicted in specific circumstances.

Check our advice on your rights in a Scottish secure tenancy.

If your circumstances change and you want to move, you could get another social home by:

• exchanging your home

• applying for a transfer

• applying to other councils or housing associations

Pausing your application

If you cannot accept an offer of housing at the moment, ask for your application to be deferred.

For example, this could be needed if you cannot move right now due to:

• health issues

• family responsibilities

You'll still be on the waiting list, but you will not get any offers.