Frequently Asked Questions

Properties are advertised:

• Online
• At the council offices
• • In a property newsletter available at a wide range of locations around the district

    Where there are exceptional circumstances, we may post a copy of the property newsletter direct to a homeseeker.

The adverts will tell you:

• Who the landlord is
  
  

• Location
• Size of the property and other features (e.g. adaptations)
• Rent
• Age and other requirements – the icons (pictures) in the advert will tell you if there any age requirements or other restrictions about who can bid for the property
• Preference – the advert may indicate if preference will be given to applications from certain types of households
• • Bedroom requirement – homeseekers with a bedroom requirement smaller or larger than this will not be able to bid
    
    

Where available, a photograph of the property or a similar house type will be provided. If you are viewing online, you will be able to access information about the local area and facilities.

You can express your interest or ‘bid’ in the following ways:

• •Online through the website

• • Through our 24 hour automated telephone service

You will be able to express an interest in a maximum of 3 rented properties each time properties are advertised. However, you will only be able to express interest in properties that are suitable for your household.

Yes, when you bid for a property online or by phone, you will be told your position in the shortlist (e.g. 4 th or 27TH).  This position is likely to change as other people bid for the property.

Using this information you may decide to withdraw your bid for one property and bid for a different property where you are placed higher in the queue. You can do this at any time before the closing date.

When you bid by text, you will receive a text confirming your position in the shortlist – but you will not be able to undo a text bid and change it to another property.

Once the closing date for bids has passed, a shortlist of interested homeseekers is drawn up. The shortlist is usually in order of local connection, followed by band, and then by the date that the homeseeker became eligible for this band.

Other criteria may apply according to the restrictions stated in the advert details for that property. The highest placed homeseeker will normally be offered the property.

Before you are formally offered a property, you will be required to provide up to date proofs to verify your current circumstances. You may not be offered the property if any of the following applies at the point of offer:

• You owe rent or have other housing related debts•
  
  

• You are a council or Housing Association tenant and legal action has been taken against you because you have broken your tenancy conditions
  
  
• •You have sufficient money or property to solve your own housing problems
  
  
• You have not provided the required documentary evidence to support your application by the date given
• Your circumstances have changed and this results in a reduction in your level of priority
• You have provided incorrect or misleading information, which has resulted in your application being awarded a higher priority than it deserves

This is not an exhaustive list and differt landlords may have different criteria.

The following Housing Associations have low cost home ownership (shared ownership) schemes in Charnwood:

• Advance Housing & Support
• De Montfort Housing Society Ltd
• East Midlands Housing Association
• Metropolitan Housing Trust
• Nottingham Community Housing Association

Click on the following link for more information Low Cost Home Ownership.

All vacant properties require essential repairs and maintenance to get them ready for the new tenant/s. Some repairs may take longer than others so we are unable to say how long applicants will have to wait but Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing will let applicants know as soon the property is ready to let.

As soon as essential repairs and maintenance have been completed and the property is ready to let, Charnwood Neighbourhood Housing will contact you to arrange an accompanied viewing and a sign up date.

We do not normally redecorate homes before new tenants move in, although we may make an exception for tenants that are disabled or pensioners. However, you may be entitled to a decorating allowance in the form of decorating vouchers. The housing officer will discuss this with you when you sign up for your new tenancy.

We can only nominate applicants for a Housing Association property if there is a vacancy that the Housing Association has told the council it can have.

Nominations to Housing Association properties will only be made to applicants who are next on the Housing Register for the property and who have said they would consider a Housing Association property.

If an applicant refuses 2 reasonable offers of accommodation (see the council’s for more detailed information), you will lose your 100 priority points for 12 months. During this time you are unlikely to get another offer of accommodation

If you have been accepted as homeless and you refuse a reasonable offer of accommodation, the council will no longer have a duty to house you and will make no further offers of accommodation.

However, you will be placed on the council’s Housing Register and will receive further offers of accommodation subject to the council’s .