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Housing Options Guide

Looking for somewhere to live?

If you want to find a place to live in East Lothian our housing options guide is a good place to start.

Each section covers one of the main types of housing solution available in East Lothian. If you are not sure which option may be most suitable for you, the following summary should help:

  • If you would like to rent a property, the three sources of rented housing in East Lothian are East Lothian Council, housing associations and private landlords. To find out more, go to:
    Section 1
    Section 2
    Section 3 
  • If you would like to part-rent or part-own a house, see the information about shared ownership housing provided by housing associations in Section 4
  • If you are already a council or housing association tenant and want to know about swapping your house (via a transfer or mutual exchange) or buying your house, go to the relevant parts of:
    Section 1
    Section 2 
  • If you are interested in buying a home but can't afford to without a public subsidy see Sections 4,5 and 6 
  • If you are interested in buying or building a house without any grant assistance see Section 7
  • If you are interested in getting advice about repairing or improving a privately owned house, you will find various options in Section 8
  • If you are, or know of, a private landlord of an empty property who might be interested in a grant to renovate and let it out, you will find various options in Section 9
  • Developers interested in building or renovating a house to let to people with community care needs should read the information about the special needs capital grant in Section 10

Quick links to Sections

Council Housing
Housing Associations
Private Lets
Shared and Low-cost Ownership
Buying and Building
Private Repairs 
Renovations
Special Needs Grants

Contact

Contact details for the Council's area housing offices are available by following this link. We also offer a Housing Options interview, if you need face to face advice. You should contact an area office to arrange an interview or the Homelessness team on 01620 827827.