Your council's allocations policy says who should get priority on the waiting list.

Some groups of people must get 'reasonable preference'. This means they must get priority for council and housing association homes.

You must get reasonable preference if you:

• are homeless or at risk of violence

• are overcrowded or live in very bad housing conditions

• need to move for health, disability or welfare reasons

Some councils give priority or points to other groups.

You might get even more priority if you need to move urgently.

Homeless or at risk of violence

The council must give you some priority on the housing register if you are legally homeless.

This includes when you're at risk of domestic abuse or other violence.

Overcrowded homes

You could be overcrowded if you do not have a separate bedroom for every:

• couple

• single adult aged 21 or over

• 2 young people aged 10 to 20 of the same sex

• 2 children under 10 of any sex

This is called the bedroom standard.

Some councils use a different legal measure of overcrowding, called statutory overcrowding.

Find out about applying for a larger home if you're overcrowded.

Bad or dangerous conditions

You should get more points or a higher band for council housing if your home:

• needs urgent repairs or is in a very bad condition

• is a health risk - for example, has bad drains or sewerage problems

• does not have what you need to do basic washing and cooking, like a sink or oven

You might get more priority if a council environmental health officer says your home is unsafe or affecting your health.

Health, disability or welfare reasons

You must get some priority if you need to move for health or welfare reasons.

For example, if you or anyone in your household needs:

• sheltered housing for older people

• supported housing because of a learning disability

• things like a wet room, low sockets, lifts or handrails because of a disability

• a larger home because you're a foster carer or looking after someone else's children

Tell the council if:

• you have problems walking or climbing stairs

• a physical or mental health condition is made worse by where you live

Get supporting letters from doctors, healthcare workers or social workers that say how your home affects your health.

If you need to live in a particular area

You should get some priority if you need to live in an area for a special reason.

For example, if:

• your child can only get support for special educational needs in that area

• you need to be close to a relative to give or receive care

• you're leaving care and need to be close to your support

Members of the armed forces

You get extra priority on the waiting list if you're in one of the situations on this page, have urgent housing needs and either:

• you have served in the regular armed forces

• you are in the regular or reserve forces and you're seriously injured, ill or disabled because of your service

• you have to leave forces accommodation because your married or civil partner died in service

This should mean you are offered a council or housing association home more quickly.

Other urgent housing needs

Your council may give extra priority to some people with very urgent housing needs.

For example, if you need to move because of:

• a sudden disability or life threatening illness

• overcrowding or repair problems that put your health at serious risk

• violence or threats, including domestic abuse, witness intimidation or serious antisocial behaviour

If you're not in a priority group

It will probably take a lot longer to get a council or housing association home.

Many councils give extra priority based on how long you’ve been on the register.

Some give extra priority to people who:

• are working

• do voluntary work

• have a good tenancy record