Every week available Council and Registered Provider properties (formerly known as Housing Association) in Charnwood that are available for bidding will be advertised. Properties from Private Landlords may sometimes also be advertised.
Applicants who have been accepted onto the Council’s Housing Register can bid for up to 2 advertised properties per week that they are interested in.
Applicants can see how many properties become available, where the properties are located and how likely they are to be offered one of these properties.
How are properties advertised?
Available properties are advertised every week.
The adverts will be available Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday each week.
- On the Council’s Choice Based Lettings website
- In local libraries across Charnwood.
You will be able to see how often the type of property that you are interested in become available for bidding.
If you have problems viewing the adverts, you can contact the Housing Allocations and Lettings Team on 01509 634567 or using the below online form:
The property adverts will tell you:
- Whether you are eligible to bid for the property
- Who the landlord is
- Where the property is located
- The size of the property
- The rent
- Whether there is an age restriction for the property
- Other information, such as whether the property has been adapted for people with disabilities.
How do I bid for Properties?
When you place a bid, you are telling the Council that you are interested in being offered the property. Placing a bid does not involve money.
If you are eligible for an advertised property, you will be able to place a bid.
You can place a bid for an advertised property on the Council’s Choice Based Lettings website www.charnwood.gov.uk/homes.
You will be able to bid for up to 2 properties per week.
If you have problems placing bids, you can contact the Housing Allocations and Lettings Team on 01509 634567 or using the below online form:
Which properties can I bid for?
Some advertised properties may have minimum age criteria, for example:
- Properties in older person’s sheltered housing schemes
- Properties that may be unsuitable for young children, such as duplex flats.
Some advertised properties may be restricted by household type, for example:
- Bedsits / Studio flats will normally be restricted to single people
- Houses with 2 or more bedrooms will normally be restricted to families that contain dependent children.
There are very small numbers of the following property types within Charnwood, so these properties may not be advertised as they may need to be matched to applicants who have the greatest needs:
- 2 bedroom bungalows
- Houses with more than 4 bedrooms
- Properties that are adapted for wheelchair users.
To see the type and size of properties that applicants will normally be able to bid for see:
Table of property sizes eligibility
Which areas can I bid for?
You will normally be able to bid for advertised properties in any area of Charnwood.
Please see locations of Council-owned accomodation for a list of areas.
How does the system of offers work?
After a property has been advertised, all of the bidders will be sorted into a list. This is called as ‘shortlist’.
The list will be sorted in Band order (from Band 1 down to Band 3). If there is more than 1 applicant in a band, all of the applicants within the Band will be sorted in date order (from oldest to newest).
When the bidding closes, the applicant who is at the top of the shortlist will normally be offered the property. If the person at the top of the list does not accept the property, the property is likely to be offered to the next person on the list.
Some applicants who are members of the armed forces may be placed in a higher position on the shortlist than other applicants who are within the same Band.
If the property has any special features or criteria, for example if the property has adaptations for people with disabilities, applicants who meet the criteria may finish in a higher position on the shortlist than other applicants who do not meet the criteria.
In some circumstances the Council may ‘skip’ past an applicant who is on a shortlist, for example:
- If the applicant has already been offered a different property
- If the property is too large for the applicant
- If the applicant poses a risk to individuals or the community
- If the applicant’s circumstances have changed and they are no longer eligible for the property.
How will I know if my bid is successful?
If your bid is successful, the Housing Allocations and Lettings Team will contact you and offer the property to you.
You need to wait for this contact to be made. Please do not call the council to enquire about being successful.
You will normally be given 3 working days to respond to an offer.
What happens if I accept an offer?
If you accept an offer, you will be invited to view the property.
If you still wish to accept the property after the viewing, you will be invited to sign-up for a tenancy.
What happens if I refuse an offer?
If you refuse a suitable offer of accommodation, your application banding may be reduced.
If you refuse 3 suitable offers of accommodation, your application will be suspended, and you will not be able to bid for properties or be considered for another offer for 12 months.
If you do not respond to an offer, do not attend a property viewing or do not attend a tenancy sign-up appointment, the offer will be withdrawn, and this will be classed as a refusal.
What if I disagree with a decision about my application?
If you do not agree with a decision the Council has made about your application, you may be able to request a review of the decision
Further information and advice
A copy of the Housing Allocations Policy is available on the Council’s website.
The Council can provide information and advice on services and options for people who need to move home. Further information is available on our Housing Needs web page.
If you are homeless or think you may at risk of becoming homeless in the next 56 days, please see our homeless guidance
For independent advice, you can contact The Bridge East Midlands on 01509 260550 or Charnwood Citizens’ Advice Bureau on 03444 111444.
Last updated: Fri 15th September, 2023 @ 14:29