Housing options

Whether you want to rent, buy or own a part share, we can help you find the housing option that's right for you.

We have a limited number of properties and our turnover is low, so we may not be able provide you with a home that suits your needs at a time when you need it.

If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, you may be entitled to immediate help and should contact your local council’s Homeless Persons Section.

Social rented

Most of our rented properties are for social rent and are affordable to those on low incomes.

We provide homes for those in the greatest housing need. This covers a range of circumstances – from people who are homeless or threatened with homeless, to people whose current home doesn’t meet their needs any more, for instance it isn’t big enough or it’s to large or they have mobility problems.

What you earn is not taken into account.

Everyone over the age of 16 has the right to register for social housing and to have their needs assessed. Link-group-lettings-policy.pdf [pdf] 701KB defines who is in highest need and who we let vacant properties to.

We have a limited number of properties, and our turnover is low, so we may not be able provide you with a home that suits your needs at a time when you need it.

We have around 50 properties available to let each year. However, in addition, we have a large new build programme with new homes becoming ready for let each year.

We advertise our available properties on choice-based lettings schemes and common housing registers, where users can bid on them. We then assess each applicant according to our priority criteria. The person with the greatest housing need will be offered the property.

If you are homeless or at risk of homelessness, you may be entitled to immediate help and should contact your local council who will be able to advise.

How to apply for social rent

Most of our homes are advertised on Find a Home, our choice based letting site.

Before you register you will be able to see where our homes are and decide if we have the type of property you need in the area you want. You will also see what homes are currently available and decide if you want to register an interest in them.

Not all areas where Horizon has stock are covered by Find a Home, these are:

Edinburgh - EdIndex
Fife - Fife Housing Register

Nominations from the local authority

We ask local councils to nominate applicants for up to 50% of our vacancies. We would encourage you to apply to your local council for housing and let them know that you would like to be nominated. You will find details on how to do this on individual council websites.

Generally councils give us a number of nominees for each vacancy and we will allocate the property to the person with the most priority in line with our allocations policy.

Properties for sale

Many people who want to own their own home find that today's high prices prevent them from getting onto the property ladder. There are a number of options that could help you into home ownership.

Shared ownership

A shared ownership property is where you own part of your property, normally between 25% and 75%, and you pay rent (called an occupancy charge) to Horizon to cover the remaining share.

Sharing owners have an Exclusive Occupancy Agreement with Horizon which details the rights and responsibilities of both the owner and Horizon.

We currently have 25 shared ownership homes in management and have no plans to develop more. Occasionally a home will become available when existing sharing owners are looking to sell on.

Shared Equity

Shared equity helps people on low to moderate incomes who want to buy a home but are unable to meet the full price.

The scheme aims to help the following:

First-time buyers.
People who currently have a Scottish Secure tenancy with a Council, Housing Association or Cooperative.
Serving Armed Forces personnel or recent veterans.
People with a disability whose current home no longer meets their housing needs.

Please note, however, that eligibility for each scheme can vary depending on the Scottish Government’s priorities.

Link Group manages two shared equity schemes, Open Market Shared Equity and New Supply Shared Equity, on behalf of the Scottish Government. For more information visit their website.