There are several options you can consider when thinking about finding a home, depending on whether you want to buy a property or rent.
On this page is advice on buying a home (including shared ownership), renting from the Council, a Housing Association or a Private Landlord.
There are many estate agents in Sheffield that can help you to find a home to buy and give advice on how to pay for your hew home.
Shared ownership
The Council has a scheme where you can buy part of a property to reduce the cost of your rent.
A smaller deposit is needed to buy a share of your home and so this can be a more accessible opportunity to get onto the property ladder.
Find out more from the Council Shared Ownership Team webpage.
If you want to rent a home from the Council now, or at some point in the future, you should register on the Council’s Housing List.
There is a long wait for accommodation so it is a good idea to look at all your options for a home.
To register you will need to provide identification and a reference.
If you owe rent arrears to the Council or any other landlord you will need an arrangement in place to repay them. You will also need to show a commitment to pay your rent before you will be able to bid for accommodation.
You can complete a housing registration and find more information on the Sheffield Property Shop website.
If you need to make an arrangement to pay off rent arrears owed to the Council please call 0114 293 0000 to arrange.
Housing Associations are independent, social landlord organisations. They provide secure, affordable housing for people in housing need.
There are around 18,000 Housing Association owned homes of all sizes and types in Sheffield. They're regulated by the Regulator of Social Housing.
Many housing association properties are advertised through the Council’s housing register. You can also register directly with some associations.
Get more information about renting from a Housing Association from the Sheffield Property Shop website.
You can find private rented accommodation for yourself by going to a Letting agent. You can find a list of local letting agents on Yell (online Yellow Pages) or Thompson Local. There are reviews on these sites – please be careful and judge how reliable or useful the reviews are for yourself.
When looking for private rented accommodation you are likely to need some money to pay for a deposit and a month’s rent in advance. You may be able to open a saving account with Sheffield Credit Union to support with this. They also offer loans for their members in some circumstances. You can call them on 0114 276 0787 or get information from the Sheffield Credit Union website.
If you are on a low income you may be able to apply to the Local Assistance Scheme. You can request help in funding rent in advance. You can call to speak to an adviser on 0114 273 4567 or get more information from the Sheffield Local Assistance Scheme webpage.
Sharing private rented accommodation
Nomad Sheffield's SmartSteps Programme helps single people aged 18 to 35 who are homeless or at risk of being homeless. They help find shared private rented accommodation. This is often the most viable option for a young person looking for accommodation. Single people under 35 can only claim housing costs at the sharing rate.
You can call Sheffield Nomad on 0114 3210262 or get more information from the Sheffield Nomad website.
Bond Guarantee
The Council Private Rented Solutions Service may be able to help with a bond guarantee. It is important that the property you choose is suitable for you and your household.
If you find a property you're interested apply using their Find Your Let Form.
You can download the form from the Sheffield Property Shop website.
Private Rented Solutions will contact the landlord and inspect the property to make sure it is of a good standard. The landlord will also complete a Fit and Proper Check. The service will only agree to proceed if the tenancy is safe and affordable and the landlord is willing to engage with the service.
If you are interested in this support you should:
You can download the form from the Sheffield Property Shop website.
