Overheard a few people chatting earlier and wondered what they were talking about, "bidding" for council houses. Is this like buying a house when you submit sealded bids and the highest offer gets the house? So bidding for a council house you bid the max rent you are prepared to pay and the highest bidder wins? Just curious....

every week the council issue a list of houses available for letting
if you are registered on the housing list, You can bid on most of these houses.
The first bid that matches the criteria for that property is offered it,if they decide agains`t it then it is offered to the next bidder and so on down the bidders list until it is let.
It has nothing to do with rent.