Improving our digital housing services

Improving our housing application and bidding digital services

We are changing our online bidding system to improve our service to you and will be making this change in the coming months. This guidance is to help you prepare for our new online housing application and bidding system for social housing in Tower Hamlets.

You must be registered on our new bidding system to continue bidding. Check if you need to register.

We are changing systems

• Our existing bidding system is very old and we need to modernise it to ensure we continue to provide efficient, effective and economic services to our customers.
• We are moving the bidding system into our main housing management system so that all our data is kept together and is easier to keep safe.

How will this benefit you, our customer?

• Customers will be able to use the same system for bidding that they use for applying to join the housing register and make changes to their housing application.
• Customers will only need one login to manage any changes to their application and to bid for properties.
• You will no longer log in using your bidding number and date of birth. Instead, you will use your email address and a password that you choose. This is a safer way to log in and you will be able to change your password whenever you need to.

How will this benefit the council?

• Moving the bidding into the main housing system will mean we have one place to hold and manage your data which is more secure.
• It will enable us to focus more on supporting our customers and less on doing administrative tasks across multiple software systems.

How does this affect you?

• Moving our bidding system will mean that you need to log in to our housing applications portal to bid.
• You will only need one login for bidding and for making any changes to your housing application.
• You will need to have an account for our housing applications portal. Follow the guidance to register for an account if you do not have one. It’s free and simple to create. You just need an email address and your application number (your bidding number).

When will the change happen?

• We are giving plenty of notice so you are ready to continue bidding on the new system.
• The change should take place in the coming months and we will confirm the actual dates when ready.
• There will not be a bidding cycle the week before the change. The next bidding cycle will commence the following week.

Check your account

Log in to the Homeseekers applications online portal using your email address and password. If you can log in, you do not need to do anything else at this time.

You can bid on the new bidding system when it goes live.

If you do not have an account you will not be able to bid if you do not register on the Homeseekers applications online portal before we change systems.

Read the guide on how to register.

Comparing the two portals

The new system

The new system login looks like this

Old system

This is the old system, which will no longer be available for bidding once the change takes place.

Make sure you are ready to bid on the new system.

What you need to know before you can bid

If you do not have a housing application with Tower Hamlets, you cannot place a bid until you have submitted a housing application.

You need to register and apply for social housing through our online portal, Homeseekers housing applications.

Once you apply, we will assess your application based on our allocations policy.