Housing: buying or renting in Newcastle

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    Choosing a Home

    If you are moving to a new home, whether buying or renting, you need to find out what type of housing will suit your needs best and what is available. There are a number options that you may want to consider. You may also find these sections useful on Information NOW.

    Renting a home

    You can rent your home from a number of different providers

    Affordable or council housing

    Rent a property from Your Homes Newcastle (YHN) or a Housing Association is known as having a council tenancy or living in social housing. You may have more security and pay lower rent than other tenants, but you also may have to wait longer for an available home. This is because these housing providers aim to assist people who have the greatest need.

    Newcastle Homes website is where you register to apply for council houses and social housing, including sheltered housing. When you register on the site you can view and apply for council housing online. You can get help to apply online at any of the YHN Community Hubs.

    Use their Social Housing Waiting Times Tool to find out how long the current waiting time is to move into social housing.

    YHN have a range of support accommodation called Housing Plus in Newcastle. It includes:

    • Sheltered housing
    • Assisted living
    • Community support in your existing accommodation
    • supported living for people with a learning disability or autism

    You may find the Government guide on how to rent

    Housing associations in Newcastle

    Housing associations that provide housing in Newcastle include:

    Renting a Private Property

    Private renting is normally on a short-term basis. This means that your landlord will have the right to bring your tenancy to an end after six months. The rent can be higher than renting from the Council or a Housing Association but you may be able to find accommodation more quickly and in a location of your choice.

    When you rent a private property you will be asked to sign a tenancy agreement. Check it carefully before signing it, to find out

    • what you are responsible for
    • what your landlord is responsible for
    • how much rent and deposit you have to pay in advance.

    Finding a property to rent

    Newcastle Private Rented Service can help you find a home that meets Newcastle Housing accreditation standards.

    You can look for advertisements in local newspapers or you can use an accommodation agency to find housing available to rent.

    There are a number of private agencies on the high street which let out rented housing on behalf of the owners. They may be listed under ‘Accommodation – residential’, ‘Estate agents’, ‘Letting agents’ or ‘Property management’ in the Yellow Pages.

    The law says that accommodation agencies are not allowed to charge you unless they actually find a home for you to rent.

    Your rights as a tenant

    Newcastle Private Rented Service runs a free tenants support service. They can help you:

    • check your tenancy agreement
    • get references
    • look after your home
    • pay your rent if you are struggling
    • with debt and budget advice
    • arrange your rent deposit
    • eviction advice
    • resolve any disputes you might have with your landlord
    • find a home that meets Newcastle Housing accreditation standards
    • online tenants toolkit with information and advice

    University students

    Newcastle University Students’ Union (NUSU) Student Advice Centre help Newcastle University students and prospective students with finance and housing advice.

    Northumbria University Student Welfare help Northumbria University students with finance and housing advice.

    Buying a home

    There is a huge range of housing available to buy privately. There are schemes that are available for people who can’t afford the full market price; such as shared ownership and lifetime occupancy schemes.

    Shared ownership schemes

    Some housing associations provide schemes where you can buy a proportion of the value of the property, for example 25% or 50%. You then pay rent on the remainder of the value. The rent is in addition to the regular service charge. This arrangement is known as a shared ownership scheme.

    This scheme may suit you if you don’t have enough money to buy a property outright on the open market, but you have a regular and sufficient income to finance your mortgage and other regular expenses.

    Lifetime occupancy schemes

    Lifetime occupancy schemes allow you to buy the right to occupy a retirement property for life, or for both of your lifetimes, in the case of couples. This can reduce the money needed to move to a retirement home.

    There are, of course, advantages and disadvantages that you will need to weigh up for yourself.

    Right to buy

    If you are a Your Homes Newcastle tenant you may be eligible to buy your home at a discount under the Right to Buy scheme.

    Mortgages

    A mortgage is a significant and long-term investment.  It is often the biggest financial outlay that anyone will make in their lifetime.  MoneyHelper has an affordability mortgage calculator that will help you understand whether you can sustain your planned mortgage on your current income.  MoneyHelper also offers information on: being a first time buyer; buy to let mortgages; switching your mortgage; Government help to buy; extra costs such as surveys and council tax.

    Retirement housing

    Sheltered Housing tends to be the term used for properties which are rented from housing associations. When people buy their properties or rent privately, they usually call it retirement housing.

    Retirement housing (also known as sheltered housing) might appeal to you if you like living independently, but want the reassurance of knowing that assistance is on hand if there is an emergency, or if you want the option of socialising in a community of people in your age range.

    Refugees and asylum seekers

    Action Housing and Action Letting help asylum seekers and refugees find somewhere to live. They run these services:

    • Action Housing: supported accommodation for destitute asylum seekers, with no recourse to public funds
    • Action Letting: they rent properties to new refugees at risk of homelessness. Helping single refugees access private rented housing in flexible and affordable ways

    Read more on InformationNOW about support for refugees and asylum seekers in Newcastle.

    Worried about becoming homeless?

    The first thing you should do is to contact Newcastle City Council’s Housing Advice Centre.

    Staff at the Housing Advice Centre can help you to maintain your existing accommodation or help find you alternative accommodation.  Newcastle City Council has a legal duty to provide advice and assistance free of charge to you if you are homeless or are ‘threatened with homelessness’. This means that you are going to become homeless within 56 days and there is nothing you can do about it. For example, if you have a notice from the court saying that your home is going to be repossessed in 4 weeks.

    Read Homeless or worried about becoming homeless on InformationNOW.

    Where to get legal advice

    When buying a home you will need a solicitor. Or if you’re having problems with your landlord or rented home and need legal advice. You can find where to get legal advice on InformationNOW.

    Other useful information

    The Council has provided the Legal & General links for information purposes only. Please note that the Council neither recommends nor endorses any products or services accessed via these links. For full details, please see their website advertising statement.

    Last updated: June 27, 2024