EdIndex is a partnership between the Council and 17 housing associations/co-operatives in Edinburgh. You only need to complete one application form to access housing provided by the Landlords
You can register if you are 16 years or older.
To register you will need to print and complete EdIndex application form and post it to EdIndex, The City of Edinburgh Council, Clocktower, Unit 1, Flassches Yard, South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9LB.
When you register with EdIndex you will build up waiting time which is measured in days.
Each advert is marked as a Starter(S) or Mover(M) or both(SM).
Starters are homes for people who are:
Waiting time for Starters is worked out from the date your application form is registered. A Starter registered for one year will have 365 waiting days and will get a further day for every day they are registered.
Movers are homes for people who are:
Waiting time for Movers is worked out from the date you moved into your current home. A Mover who has been in their current home for 10 years will have 3,650 waiting days and will get a further day for every day they are registered at their current home.
Anyone who is 16 years or older can apply for housing in Edinburgh.
To be able to bid for homes you must have completed an EdIndex application form and been issued with your EdIndex Reference Number. You can find out how to register by reading the “How to register” section above.
Once you have your EdIndex Reference Number you must create a login with Housing Online to be able to view and bid for homes at Key to Choice .
To create your login please follow this step by step guidance and read the FAQs. Once you have created your login placing bids is very simple. Please see the attached step by step guidance
You can bid for a maximum of 3 homes each week and if you are successful the landlord will contact you after the closing date. You should carry on bidding until you have been made an offer of housing.
Homes are advertised weekly online from 4.00am on a Sunday until the next Sunday at 3.30am. You can place your bids at any time throughout the week. Bidding as soon as the homes are advertised does not give you a better chance of being successful.
Waverley Court
Level C.3
4 East Market Street
EDINBURGH , EH8 8BG
Email: edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk
If you are homeless or are worried that you are about to be homeless, you need to contact one of the Council’s Locality Offices straight away to arrange a Homeless Assessment. It might be possible to stop you losing your current accommodation.
If you have received a Notice to Quit or are threatened with a Notice To Quit you can contact homelessness.prs@edinburgh.gov.uk for advice and support.
I am having trouble bidding
Please make sure you have created your login for Housing Online. If you have been given a new EdIndex number you will need to create a new login with this number using a different email address. The bidding guidance may be useful to help you with placing bids. If you are still having trouble please read our troubleshooting guide and Housing Online FAQs before contacting EdIndex. If you still need to contact EdIndex:
Please email your EdIndex number, full name, date of birth and problem you are experiencing to edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk and put "Housing Online issue" in the email subject line.
I don’t know my EdIndex Number
Please email your full name, date of birth and address to edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk. and put "Forgotten EdIndex Number" in the email subject line.
I don’t know what size of homes I can bid for
Our bedroom calculator can help you work out how many bedrooms you may be eligible for. To find out if you are a starter or a mover please read our Am I a starter or a mover FAQ.
I emailed EdIndex but haven’t received a reply
EdIndex receive around 750 emails a week so it can take up to 10 working days to get a reply. Please do not send a follow up email we will get back to you as soon as we can. The FAQ section on our website answers most questions we get emailed about so this may be of some help meantime.
I have moved house
When you move house you need to complete a new application form. Your EdIndex number will not change. Your waiting time will not change if you are a starter. If you are a mover your waiting time will be recalculated to the date you moved into your current address.
To let us know about your change of address and request an application form please email your EdIndex number, Full Name and new address to edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk.
I want to add someone to my application
Please email your EdIndex number, full name and address and then the full name, date of birth, and sex of the person to be added and whether the person is currently living with you full time (4 or more nights per week) to edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk and put "Application update" in the email subject line.
I want to apply for social housing in Edinburgh
Please print and complete this EdIndex application form. If you cannot print the form please:
Please email your full name, and address to edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk and put "Application request" in the email subject line.
Our Guide to Social Housing explains the process of registering to you. Our Guide to Waiting times will give you an idea of how long you may need to wait to be rehoused once you are registered. In general, applicants with a priority can expect to wait 2-3 years after being awarded priority to receive an offer of housing. Applicants without a priority can expect to wait significantly longer than this.
Our Guide to other housing options in Edinburgh may be useful to help you consider any alternative affordable accommodation that may be suitable for you. These are often a quicker way to be rehoused than waiting for social housing that is in very high demand.
I want to know how long I will have to wait
Our Guide to Waiting times will give you an idea of how long you may need to wait. In general, applicants with a priority can expect to wait 2-3 years after being awarded priority to receive an offer of housing. Applicants without a priority can expect to wait significantly longer than this.
Our Guide to other housing options may have some alternative affordable accommodation that you may be eligible for. These are often a quicker way to be rehoused than waiting for social housing which is in high demand.
I want to know how successful I was with my bids
We do not give out this information. If your bid has been successful you will normally be contacted within 2 weeks of the edition closing. Please make sure we have your up-to-date contact details. If you need to update your contact details:
Please email your EdIndex number, full name, address and updated contact details to edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk and put "Contact details" in the email subject line.
I want to know how to see if my bids have been received
You can check if your bids have been received by logging into your Housing Online account and selecting Current bids from the actions drop down. You need to do this before the weekly adverts close at 3:30am on a Sunday. If your bids do not appear here while the edition is open your bids have not been correctly registered and you should try again.
I want to know if I qualify for a priority
Applicants must meet certain criteria to be awarded a priority. Most priorities will be added to your application once either the EdIndex Team or a team you have been referred to, has assessed your current household circumstances and any specific needs of members of your household. You will be notified if you have been awarded priority. You can read about the criteria for priorities in our How do the Priorities work FAQ.
I want to update information on my application
Please email your EdIndex number, full name, and address and the details you wish to update to edindex@edinburgh.gov.uk and put "Application update" in the email heading.