New Residents

• Need Somewhere to Live?
• Sport and Leisure
• Social Work
• Employment and Training
• Council Tax
• Benefits
• Getting Around Shetland
• Learning English
• Health
• Children
• Volunteering

Need Somewhere to Live?

Applying for council house or housing association property

You can apply for a house to rent as long as you are 16 or over. You need to fill in a form which you can get from:

Housing Department
Fort Road
Lerwick

Or you can phone them on 01595 744360.

The form is also available on our website: www.shetland.gov.uk/housing/Housing_Application_Pack.asp

If you fill in this form, we will also consider you for a house to rent from Hjaltland Housing Association (www.hjaltland.org.uk).

However, there is a very long waiting list for houses to rent.

What to do if you are homeless or will be homeless

If you are homeless or will be homeless, you must speak to the Council’s Homelessness Service. You can phone us on 01595 744360 or you can visit us at:

Housing Department
Fort Road
Lerwick

We will help you to find a house.

Finding somewhere to rent through a private landlord

You can rent a house through a private landlord. You can find out about houses for rent by:

• Reading the adverts in the Shetland Times.
• Contact the local Solicitors and Estate Agents (www.shetland.gov.uk/housing).
• Look out for small ads that appear, for example, on the notice boards of the Lerwick supermarkets. Also, in the windows of some shops and post offices.

Buying a house

You can find details of houses for sale in the Shetland Times newspaper. Or contact the local Solicitors and Estate Agents.

For more details, see our Online Housing Options Guide (www.shetland.gov.uk/housing).