When choosing a property to bid for, you need to consider a number of things.
Do I live in the right area to qualify for a property?
Properties are advertised by council area. To bid for a property in a specific council area, you must be registered as a homeseeker or transfer applicant on that council's housing register, unless it is advertised as a Cross Boundary property (see below).
Are there properties in other council areas I can bid for?
Yes. If a partner council decides to open up a certain property to bids from people registered in other areas, they will advertise it as a 'Cross Boundary' property. In the magazine, these properties will appear in a separate Cross Boundary section at the back, and you can bid on these properties in the normal way, if they match your assessed need. On the website, they will appear in the list of properties you are eligible for, and you can bid on them as you would for any other property.
Is the property designated for homeseekers/transfers or both?
Your bid won’t count if you bid for a property advertised for homeseekers only and you are a transferring tenant. Homeseekers bidding can only bid for properties that are advertised with an H or with both H & T icons. Council tenants and tenants of any one of the ten partner housing associations listed can bid for properties that are advertised with a T or both T & H icons
Is there an age restriction on the property?
Some properties have a minimum age requirement, for example in some schemes for older people. If an age restriction icon appears on the advert you can only bid on these properties if you are in that age range.
Some properties have a mobility sign
This is intended to provide a guide to people who have various levels of mobility needs. Unless it says so on the advert, it does not restrict people without mobility needs from bidding for these properties, however priority will be given to those with matching need.
Pets
Some landlords will not allow you to keep a cat or a dog unless the property has its own garden. If you have a pet, please check with the landlord.
Circumstances where you may not be invited to view a property:
- you are in rent arrears
- you have been involved in anti-social behaviour
- in exceptional circumstances, eg: where the offer would conflict with the council’s objectives to ensure offers are sensitively made and that properties are let quickly
You can ask at your housing office or your landlord if any of these circumstances apply to you. You can also ask your council to review the decision to exclude you from the scheme at any time.What sort of tenancy will I be granted?
If you are a homeseeker being offered a council property, your council may offer you a secure tenancy straight away, or they may offer you an introductory tenancy to start with.
An introductory tenancy is a 12-month trial period during which your council or housing association will make sure that new tenants act responsibly and follow the conditions of the tenancyu agreement. If there are no problems during the trial period, the introductory tenancy automatically becomes a secure tenancy. Introductory tenants who transfer within the introductory period will remain introductory tenants for the remainder of the 12 months. (Contact your council to find out what sort of tenancy you would be offered).
Everyone being offered a housing association property, whether a homeseeker or transfer applicant will normally be offered an assured tenancy with the association.