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Council Housing Waiting Lists In England

Every council area, as at 31 March 2025, from the government's official figures.

How Many People Are On The Council Housing Waiting List In England?

1,340,527 households were on council housing waiting lists across 296 council areas in England at 31 March 2025, up 0.6% on a year earlier (Local Authority Housing Statistics 2024-25).

1,340,527Householdswaiting, 31 March 2025
296Council areasreporting
8,049Council homesswapped, 2024 to 2025

Each council keeps a housing register: the waiting list for council and housing association homes. Every year councils report how many households are on it, what size of home they need and how many homes they let. This page puts every council's figures side by side, so you can see how long the list is where you live, or where you'd like to move.

If you already rent a council or housing association home, you don't have to join the queue to move. A mutual exchange lets you swap homes with another social tenant, with both landlords' permission. Find a swap or read how it works.

Longest Waiting Lists

  1. 1Newham41,223
  2. 2Brent36,534
  3. 3Lambeth29,187
  4. 4Tower Hamlets28,469
  5. 5Wakefield27,496
  6. 6Birmingham25,996
  7. 7Greenwich25,377
  8. 8Cornwall23,731
  9. 9Bristol22,464
  10. 10Leeds21,583

Fastest Growing Lists

Change on a year earlier, councils with 200+ households waiting.

  1. 1Central Bedfordshire+194.5%
  2. 2Milton Keynes+143.3%
  3. 3Rugby+71%
  4. 4South Gloucestershire+42.5%
  5. 5East Staffordshire+40.8%
  6. 6Charnwood+37.5%
  7. 7Bury+37.3%
  8. 8Blackpool+33.2%
  9. 9Reading+32.4%
  10. 10Erewash+31.1%

Most Council Home Swaps

Council homes that changed hands by mutual exchange, 2024 to 2025.

  1. 1Portsmouth346
  2. 2Leeds260
  3. 3Birmingham220
  4. 4Sheffield199
  5. 5Norwich191
  6. 6Stockport191
  7. 7Basildon169
  8. 8Kingston upon Hull164
  9. 9Wolverhampton161
  10. 10Bristol153

Waiting Lists In Every Council Area

Click a column heading to sort. Council names link to our guide for that area, where we have one.

Council Households waiting Change on last year Need 1 bed Need 2 beds Need 3 beds Need 4+ beds Homes let in the year Council homes swapped
Newham 41,223 +7.3% 19,455 11,532 8,379 1,627 519 35
Brent 36,534 +9.8% 19,627 10,359 5,287 1,261 626 5
Lambeth 29,187 -23.5% 17,885 7,707 3,142 407 903 34
Tower Hamlets 28,469 +16.1% 12,985 6,128 7,691 1,665 1,311 28
Wakefield 27,496 -7.4% – – – – 1,868 –
Birmingham 25,996 +8.5% 6,756 7,858 7,213 4,169 2,720 220
Greenwich 25,377 +7.4% 16,123 4,857 2,979 1,418 1,238 67
Cornwall 23,731 -7.4% 13,018 5,844 3,362 1,507 1,422 128
Bristol 22,464 +4.8% 13,014 5,324 3,239 887 1,333 153
Leeds 21,583 +1.8% 12,342 5,352 2,997 892 3,733 260
Bolton 21,479 -4.4% 10,895 5,766 3,299 1,519 1,242 –
Sheffield 19,467 +10.1% 13,028 3,737 1,977 725 3,199 199
Manchester 19,406 +13.6% 8,407 5,595 3,855 1,549 2,257 36
Sandwell 19,108 +27.4% 10,310 4,742 2,650 1,363 1,554 103
Bradford 18,357 -18.6% 9,342 5,043 3,216 756 1,389 2
Kirklees 16,914 +21.5% 9,624 4,117 2,193 453 1,531 94
Islington 16,794 +0.3% 7,137 2,591 1,670 870 1,290 102
Liverpool 14,520 +13.8% 7,069 4,644 2,216 591 1,383 –
Haringey 14,179 +5.8% 6,893 3,749 2,721 816 770 28
Southwark 13,351 +8.3% 7,332 3,346 1,765 908 1,321 71
Somerset 12,473 +26.2% 6,466 3,459 1,927 621 1,959 150
Waltham Forest 12,463 +31.1% 5,798 3,665 2,523 477 473 26
Blackpool 11,844 +33.2% 6,614 3,264 1,459 507 550 7
Cumberland 11,494 +10.2% 7,330 2,547 1,530 83 6 –
Lewisham 11,284 +2.5% 2,232 3,628 3,658 1,761 1,026 22
Nottingham 11,228 +8.1% 6,324 2,556 1,462 601 1,209 108
Calderdale 11,180 +16.5% 4,305 3,635 2,132 594 0 –
Merton 11,011 +3.2% 4,825 3,248 2,328 610 247 –
Northumberland 10,921 -16.7% 5,591 3,237 1,530 563 519 20
Luton 10,828 -5.2% 4,417 3,349 2,474 588 482 65
Wigan 10,295 -10.4% 6,049 2,712 1,159 359 1,836 125
Coventry 10,056 +12.8% 5,313 2,190 1,880 673 876 –
Gateshead 9,862 -15.5% 6,497 2,750 402 213 1,324 52
East Staffordshire 9,766 +40.8% 5,091 2,937 1,244 480 0 –
Southampton 9,668 +7.7% 4,604 1,499 1,481 300 1,267 0
County Durham 9,642 -12.9% 5,299 2,512 1,610 221 290 –
Wandsworth 9,543 -18.1% 5,460 2,132 1,341 610 1,638 26
North Yorkshire 9,530 +0.6% 5,201 2,547 1,402 380 1,969 26
St. Helens 8,946 +11% 4,818 2,537 1,286 305 842 –
Doncaster 8,929 +16.4% 69 4,569 3,165 1,101 1,398 106
Croydon 8,559 +5% 3,120 3,205 1,456 778 690 30
Westmorland and Furness 8,501 +12.6% 5,307 1,953 1,181 60 171 4
Newcastle upon Tyne 8,451 -9.6% 4,191 2,294 1,330 636 1,935 85
Warrington 8,435 +11% 4,915 2,326 906 288 502 –
Camden 8,380 +4.4% 2,987 2,831 1,998 559 897 89
Derby 8,288 -2.4% 3,605 1,908 1,104 370 806 57
Wolverhampton 8,260 +24.4% 3,512 2,491 1,614 634 1,128 161
Stockport 8,208 +29.2% 5,094 2,149 856 109 921 191
Redbridge 7,992 +1.5% 2,433 2,503 2,273 783 529 14
Rochdale 7,892 -13.8% 3,407 2,311 1,434 740 770 –
Oldham 7,885 -3.4% 3,067 2,017 1,760 1,041 180 3
Cheshire East 7,847 -4.2% 4,732 2,063 902 150 952 –
Hackney 7,841 -1.1% 2,393 3,097 1,744 607 711 43
Ealing 7,813 +5.3% 1,921 2,624 2,655 613 820 16
Plymouth 7,768 +10.8% 4,201 2,001 1,093 473 1,015 –
North East Lincolnshire 7,398 +22.1% 3,838 2,047 1,136 377 557 –
South Gloucestershire 7,360 +42.5% 3,747 2,020 1,268 325 1,001 –
Shropshire 7,332 +1.7% 3,894 2,037 1,024 377 924 19
North Lincolnshire 7,195 +18.7% 4,056 1,835 991 313 667 –
Rotherham 7,033 -2.2% 3,497 2,695 839 1 1,539 57
Dorset 6,783 +25.5% 3,807 1,541 1,065 370 981 –
North Northamptonshire 6,726 +7.1% 4,187 1,272 875 392 1,553 50
Enfield 6,656 +4% 1,284 2,448 2,334 590 612 25
Kingston upon Hull 6,620 -2.1% – – – – 1,678 164
Westminster 6,452 +23.3% 2,216 2,162 1,603 471 736 11
Bath and North East Somerset 6,423 +9.4% 3,518 1,639 847 293 739 –
Cheshire West and Chester 5,931 -10.9% 3,220 1,591 833 287 312 21
Wyre 5,744 +19.1% 3,078 1,663 744 259 0 –
Stratford-on-Avon 5,538 -8.2% 3,824 1,101 478 135 532 –
East Riding of Yorkshire 5,453 +4.1% 2,018 1,360 465 71 1,036 48
Leicester 5,398 -5.1% 1,886 1,768 1,197 547 1,644 149
Bassetlaw 5,342 +8.8% 2,569 1,001 1,411 361 473 4
Trafford 5,246 -25.9% 3,002 1,223 723 298 333 –
Wirral 5,228 -10.5% 2,572 1,561 855 240 742 –
Thurrock 5,114 +15.6% 2,155 1,672 992 295 551 72
Mansfield 5,011 +1.8% 2,406 1,219 795 591 249 30
East Devon 4,909 -20.8% 2,538 1,319 782 270 425 27
East Suffolk 4,892 +7.3% 2,394 1,502 810 186 236 49
Gloucester 4,753 +4.6% 2,501 1,192 769 291 628 –
Salford 4,565 -13.8% 2,224 1,273 842 226 60 8
Blackburn with Darwen 4,490 -4.2% 1,896 1,253 850 489 – –
Basingstoke and Deane 4,465 -15.8% 2,965 709 526 265 821 –
Hounslow 4,375 +12.4% 2,273 884 906 312 759 0
Brighton and Hove 4,272 -7.2% 1,828 1,258 976 210 658 53
Barking and Dagenham 4,253 +7.9% 1,205 1,143 1,474 431 822 74
Worcester 4,187 +7.1% 2,240 1,151 600 196 427 –
Barnsley 4,138 -46.7% 392 812 470 74 1,143 104
Preston 4,034 +4.1% 1,941 1,226 599 268 346 –
Wiltshire 3,999 -6.7% 1,876 945 857 321 1,321 59
North Tyneside 3,934 +30.9% 2,220 1,127 570 15 850 66
South Tyneside 3,882 +1.2% 1,810 1,437 425 117 935 0
Dudley 3,852 +11.7% 1,488 1,543 647 174 1,472 106
Ashfield 3,847 -4% 2,289 939 578 41 489 41
Reading 3,682 +32.4% 1,420 1,170 848 244 442 40
Nuneaton and Bedworth 3,626 -3.7% 1,849 1,089 525 163 771 0
Sunderland 3,622 +12.9% 1,593 1,244 600 177 0 –
Wyre Forest 3,584 +18.3% 2,015 909 506 154 354 –
Barnet 3,485 -21.5% 1,334 1,095 782 274 925 11
South Oxfordshire 3,449 +0.4% 1,977 770 507 195 401 –
Bromley 3,430 +7.2% 1,258 922 902 348 546 –
Braintree 3,428 +27.9% 1,441 1,130 698 159 760 –
Welwyn Hatfield 3,388 -4.1% 1,945 723 559 161 461 0
Sefton 3,382 -6.8% 1,597 1,121 485 179 631 –
Solihull 3,293 -7% 1,181 1,064 768 280 695 30
Swindon 3,270 -27.8% 2,445 379 391 55 643 0
Medway 3,252 -32.7% 1,499 794 737 222 510 24
Norwich 3,211 -12.7% 1,954 725 412 120 936 191
West Lindsey 3,186 +29.6% 1,989 671 432 94 337 –
Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole 3,144 +13.8% 1,596 718 675 155 693 81
Huntingdonshire 3,041 +14.7% 1,658 750 464 169 716 –
Bury 3,035 +37.3% 1,534 799 565 137 487 43
Walsall 3,012 -21.6% 989 1,132 712 179 464 –
Central Bedfordshire 2,980 +194.5% 1,324 763 546 347 1,112 31
Stockton-on-Tees 2,961 +15.2% 1,504 891 435 131 504 –
Kensington and Chelsea 2,930 +0.2% 845 1,254 660 171 429 22
Vale of White Horse 2,904 +13.9% 1,648 653 381 222 714 –
Richmond upon Thames 2,880 -45.9% 1,444 812 483 141 453 –
Middlesbrough 2,878 +13.4% 1,395 848 447 188 393 –
Sutton 2,870 +17.5% 921 975 866 108 321 35
Peterborough 2,829 -1% 1,221 719 619 270 581 –
Knowsley 2,802 +18.8% 1,288 952 420 142 587 –
Eastleigh 2,773 +9% 1,638 582 437 116 466 –
Bromsgrove 2,755 +16% 1,816 600 286 53 281 –
Buckinghamshire 2,729 -56.9% 1,123 732 718 156 1,370 –
Stroud 2,717 -23.8% 1,719 557 324 117 360 28
Cheltenham 2,670 +0.1% 1,433 672 416 149 262 43
Havering 2,651 -12.7% 567 766 992 326 631 24
Hartlepool 2,650 +0.5% 1,192 921 406 131 463 0
Isle of Wight 2,593 -0.2% 1,302 740 419 98 206 –
West Suffolk 2,588 +0.3% 1,284 699 427 163 742 –
Spelthorne 2,584 +26.2% 1,099 890 500 93 148 –
Wychavon 2,569 -14.1% 1,325 682 445 117 0 –
Hillingdon 2,551 -34.5% 747 824 718 262 692 2
Burnley 2,543 -4.3% 1,175 741 471 156 286 –
North Somerset 2,499 -4% 1,298 736 331 134 619 –
Ipswich 2,468 -12.6% 1,153 728 480 107 252 0
Bedford 2,465 +8.7% 1,142 535 495 293 517 –
Erewash 2,461 +31.1% 1,328 604 385 144 302 –
East Hertfordshire 2,455 +11.5% 1,320 602 437 96 642 –
Newark and Sherwood 2,422 +10.7% 822 567 259 34 502 51
Chichester 2,421 +15.7% 1,381 570 347 123 403 –
Elmbridge 2,395 -2.6% 1,187 739 411 58 149 –
Test Valley 2,387 -4% 1,218 591 447 131 333 –
Basildon 2,376 +22.9% 1,090 799 352 135 670 169
Chesterfield 2,333 +4.5% 1,362 616 275 80 671 54
Mid Sussex 2,333 +11.3% 1,226 584 444 79 424 –
Slough 2,309 +7.2% 845 609 479 296 368 16
North Kesteven 2,307 -15.7% 1,428 547 252 80 267 14
Amber Valley 2,273 +9.7% 1,311 511 284 145 385 –
Guildford 2,268 +0.1% 1,201 592 387 88 386 25
Redcar and Cleveland 2,267 -32.3% 1,173 617 372 105 650 –
Newcastle-under-Lyme 2,257 -7.2% 1,174 580 395 108 431 –
West Oxfordshire 2,251 +4.9% 1,295 584 278 94 347 –
Oxford 2,243 +14.8% 1,241 572 320 110 486 36
Stoke-on-Trent 2,215 +9.9% 1,072 601 419 123 1,082 93
North Devon 2,213 +8.4% 1,114 562 385 152 348 –
North Norfolk 2,199 -10.6% 1,215 519 198 267 284 –
North Hertfordshire 2,191 -10.5% 1,334 482 256 119 163 –
Cherwell 2,183 +12.3% 933 701 380 169 449 –
Darlington 2,141 +17.1% 1,032 673 334 102 444 7
Harrow 2,122 -12.6% 600 673 628 221 276 9
Worthing 2,106 +9.4% 1,087 550 403 66 122 –
Hammersmith and Fulham 2,079 +10.6% 418 924 647 90 696 38
New Forest 2,034 +8.4% 948 627 364 95 465 55
South Ribble 2,011 -8.5% 1,029 594 299 89 359 –
Hyndburn 2,002 +1.4% 937 552 364 149 – –
South Cambridgeshire 1,956 -4.8% 1,026 471 337 122 747 49
Tandridge 1,956 +6.6% 920 625 359 52 212 13
Mid Devon 1,927 +10.9% 1,003 495 329 100 321 33
Harlow 1,919 -54.4% 969 502 306 142 398 77
Pendle 1,912 -8.7% 866 507 363 176 205 –
Rushmoor 1,874 -8.5% 856 533 361 124 277 –
Tendring 1,857 -17.8% 779 494 359 221 367 37
Chelmsford 1,855 +22.8% 749 516 445 145 328 –
Kingston upon Thames 1,835 -13% 632 442 549 212 282 13
Torbay 1,819 +11% 971 417 295 136 307 –
Swale 1,816 +5% 683 468 373 292 388 –
Cambridge 1,810 +5.7% 1,297 320 158 35 704 40
Exeter 1,796 -10.6% 1,087 334 251 124 470 0
Tewkesbury 1,780 +3.1% 839 514 305 122 587 –
Cotswold 1,775 +25.8% 1,002 467 239 67 303 –
Fenland 1,756 +1.9% 789 519 349 99 362 –
Colchester 1,730 -5.5% 925 434 311 60 784 41
Crawley 1,721 -6.8% 642 538 226 121 433 110
Hastings 1,721 +8% 707 491 358 165 267 –
East Hampshire 1,699 +0.4% 851 461 296 91 337 –
Broxbourne 1,686 +3.9% 658 436 443 149 265 –
Forest of Dean 1,686 +2.9% 940 447 226 73 314 –
North East Derbyshire 1,667 -27.1% 379 956 296 36 497 40
Warwick 1,664 -2.3% 1,079 338 147 100 986 21
Arun 1,655 -27.2% 749 436 325 145 568 33
Lincoln 1,643 +12.8% 948 384 218 26 568 80
Rossendale 1,643 -7.9% 774 487 289 93 0 –
Bexley 1,640 +10.9% 356 360 707 217 371 –
Halton 1,621 -40.2% 844 601 144 32 579 –
Winchester 1,607 +4.1% 1,052 307 188 60 578 40
West Northamptonshire 1,601 -66.9% 613 610 268 110 1,630 90
Maidstone 1,595 +22% 588 397 499 111 394 –
Chorley 1,565 -24.7% 725 470 285 85 302 –
East Lindsey 1,536 -9.3% 756 392 262 126 406 –
High Peak 1,520 +14.2% 853 376 209 82 366 28
Teignbridge 1,512 -1.7% 701 370 283 158 274 –
Portsmouth 1,504 +29.9% 506 566 340 92 1,203 346
South Hams 1,490 -7.6% 874 360 180 76 244 –
Havant 1,486 -8.9% 607 515 302 62 209 –
Bracknell Forest 1,479 -17% 629 281 337 232 345 –
Ashford 1,478 +1.4% 784 369 243 82 355 75
Dartford 1,464 +22.9% 402 472 479 111 366 24
Epsom and Ewell 1,456 +10% 601 476 305 74 66 –
Dacorum 1,448 -5.8% 893 198 256 101 841 110
Rother 1,396 -10.6% 617 404 261 114 152 –
Dover 1,389 -15% 669 394 250 76 447 43
Uttlesford 1,374 -6% 753 348 181 59 494 15
Milton Keynes 1,372 +143.3% 344 353 503 172 1,275 –
Southend-on-Sea 1,359 +20.4% 463 486 360 50 418 37
Canterbury 1,356 – 721 240 284 111 554 57
Hart 1,336 +6.5% 659 365 242 70 184 –
West Lancashire 1,331 +2.6% 681 318 290 42 472 7
Stevenage 1,311 -65.2% 488 384 282 157 568 71
Wokingham 1,295 -3.5% 622 304 274 71 241 25
Hinckley and Bosworth 1,267 -0.2% 717 325 163 62 372 24
Lancaster 1,251 -58.7% 645 375 174 57 345 23
East Cambridgeshire 1,248 +25.9% 744 263 172 69 417 –
York 1,243 -17.5% 780 250 166 47 638 94
Epping Forest 1,241 +17.7% 803 269 139 30 391 39
Torridge 1,234 -44% 605 349 205 75 197 –
Watford 1,232 +17.6% 440 340 384 68 209 –
Malvern Hills 1,220 +5.1% 620 320 211 69 0 –
Thanet 1,219 -21.6% 577 183 335 124 100 25
Tameside 1,215 +20.9% 505 381 241 88 205 –
Oadby and Wigston 1,207 +19.2% 529 380 205 93 45 9
Woking 1,196 +2.7% 490 363 265 78 154 7
Derbyshire Dales 1,186 +6.8% 758 255 128 45 366 –
South Kesteven 1,183 +27.1% 549 316 236 82 754 30
King's Lynn and West Norfolk 1,180 -12% 529 233 347 71 650 –
Boston 1,177 +0.1% 512 365 234 66 361 –
Folkestone and Hythe 1,156 -11.9% 558 322 210 66 277 44
Charnwood 1,143 +37.5% 569 344 201 29 469 15
Runnymede 1,122 -2.6% 646 268 163 45 212 16
Broxtowe 1,121 -25.8% 591 290 192 48 267 15
Eastbourne 1,107 +5% 488 291 249 79 193 9
Redditch 1,095 +6.5% 470 337 215 73 497 50
Breckland 1,089 -25.2% 543 288 197 61 637 –
Babergh 1,067 +10.9% 593 258 173 43 273 105
Reigate and Banstead 1,062 -1.1% 451 412 171 28 167 –
Great Yarmouth 1,050 +13.5% 444 315 213 78 461 58
Three Rivers 1,040 -19.3% 536 279 182 43 78 –
Adur 1,033 +5.4% 493 310 190 40 179 11
Gravesham 1,023 +18% 306 363 252 102 355 32
Staffordshire Moorlands 1,017 +25.2% 477 294 179 67 109 –
Sevenoaks 1,016 +4.4% 481 280 196 59 270 –
West Berkshire 979 -4.5% 254 393 275 57 334 –
Herefordshire 965 -51.1% 376 263 171 49 0 –
West Devon 955 +1.2% 496 260 129 70 127 –
Wealden 929 -13.3% 520 188 167 54 818 19
Mid Suffolk 928 +16.7% 485 284 115 44 353 93
Cannock Chase 918 -23% 357 367 146 46 404 29
Blaby 908 +9.3% 354 307 197 50 159 –
South Staffordshire 873 -5.1% 354 301 170 48 93 –
Broadland 869 -17.3% 556 193 67 53 459 –
Windsor and Maidenhead 823 +14.3% 224 312 211 76 0 –
North West Leicestershire 822 -29% 382 284 106 50 263 32
South Holland 820 +5.1% 469 180 111 60 432 44
Maldon 818 -32.6% 379 242 185 12 0 –
South Derbyshire 805 +1.6% 323 291 130 61 239 16
City of London 800 -25.4% 495 141 129 35 67 5
Ribble Valley 795 -6.1% 439 197 140 19 161 –
Fylde 789 -7.6% 538 134 93 24 0 –
South Norfolk 788 -13% 472 144 72 100 605 –
Rochford 751 -31.6% 273 216 221 41 251 –
Waverley 751 -11.6% 538 143 70 0 549 36
Castle Point 748 +15.4% 419 155 128 11 80 9
Gedling 721 +1.8% 336 205 133 47 0 –
Hertsmere 717 +7.5% 297 164 226 30 259 –
Horsham 716 -5.3% 168 163 300 85 276 –
Harborough 675 -2.9% 292 203 132 48 203 –
Mole Valley 653 -4% 300 186 142 25 205 –
Tunbridge Wells 639 +0.5% 286 148 163 42 256 –
Rushcliffe 637 +24.2% 498 74 52 13 351 –
Lewes 600 -6.4% 264 89 194 53 325 5
Melton 588 -25.9% 346 129 82 31 258 13
Lichfield 583 +12.5% 222 142 161 58 319 –
Rutland 566 +15.7% 246 162 119 39 65 –
Gosport 553 -1.4% 150 189 147 67 259 35
Tamworth 532 +22.6% 190 155 129 58 298 37
Surrey Heath 499 +15.5% 266 132 85 16 99 –
Rugby 465 +71% 161 119 115 70 509 12
Bolsover 398 -84.4% 275 71 44 8 366 16
North Warwickshire 341 -3.1% 140 120 64 17 282 8
St Albans 330 -12.7% 113 129 71 17 431 53
Fareham 293 -49.9% 171 66 44 12 300 11
Tonbridge and Malling 265 +61.6% 96 52 81 36 288 –
Brentwood 261 +8.8% 142 69 48 2 144 15
Stafford 100 -33.3% 60 21 12 6 297 –
Isles of Scilly 81 +8% 65 15 1 0 0 –
Telford and Wrekin 0 – – – – – 0 –

"Homes let" counts council homes let plus housing association homes let through the council's nominations. "Council homes swapped" only covers homes the council owns; many more swaps happen between housing association tenants.

Which Council Has The Longest Housing Waiting List?

Newham had the longest council housing waiting list in England at 31 March 2025, with 41,223 households, followed by Brent (36,534) and Lambeth (29,187).

What Size Of Home Are Most People Waiting For?

More households on council waiting lists need a one-bedroom home than any other size: 640,639 of the 1,291,557 households (50%) where councils reported the size needed.

Can I Swap My Council Home Instead Of Waiting?

Yes. If you already rent a council or housing association home, a mutual exchange lets you swap homes with another social tenant without going back on the waiting list. Councils in England reported 8,049 of their homes changing hands by mutual exchange in 2024 to 2025, and housing associations add many more. You need your landlord's permission, and both homes must suit both households.

Sources

Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Local Authority Housing Statistics open data, 2024 to 2025 (and 2023 to 2024 for the change). Households on the register at 31 March 2025. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. A few councils don't report every figure; those cells show a dash.

Figures last updated .

See also: the landlord league table and the landlord directory.