Housing allocations policy and scheme

31. Offers of accommodation

1. 31.1. Applicants have a responsibility to ensure their contact details are up to date including, change of address, contact telephone numbers and email addresses.
2. 31.2. When a property is available for letting the Council will shortlist suitable applicants. Where the property is owned by a Private Registered Provider, the Council will provide a nomination to the Provider. The applicant may be required by the Private Registered Provider to complete a pre-tenancy qualification questionnaire or affordability/eligibility assessment prior to a decision being made on whether they are eligible for and able to afford the property.  Where an initial nomination is rejected by the Private Registered Provider or refused by the nominated applicant, the Council will provide further nominations until the property is let. 
3. 31.3. Shortlisted applicants (including nominations accepted by Private Registered Providers) will be invited by the property's landlord to view the property.
4. 31.4. Applicants will only be considered by the Council or nominated to a Private Registered Provider for one property at a time and will only be considered for that property until they refuse it, or the Provider decides they are not eligible or suitable.
5. 31.5. Once an offer of a property has been made, unless the property will need to be adapted to meet the needs of the applicant or there is some other special requirement for rehousing, the applicant will be expected to make a decision within 24 hours as to whether they will accept the property.
6. 31.6. Where private rented properties are let through this scheme any applicant for whom it is deemed that the rent would be unaffordable, taking into account their income and level of likely assistance with the rent which will be available, will not be nominated for a property.
7. 31.7. For all low-cost home ownership properties (for example, shared ownership or discounted for sale) any applicant for whom it is deemed that they would be unable to afford to purchase the share or value of the property being sold will be disregarded.
8. 31.8. Those applicants with a homeless duty and/or in the Emergency Band or Band A, who have refused or have failed to make contact on one occasion when a suitable offer of accommodation has been made through the Allocation Policy and Scheme, will be deferred and therefore be declined further offers for a period of up to twelve months. All other applicants who have refused or have failed to make contact on two occasions within a twelve-month period when a suitable offers of accommodation have been made through the Allocations Policy and Scheme will be deferred and therefore be declined further offers for a period of up to twelve months. The Council will write to the applicant and inform them of the reason as to why they have been deferred.