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Contact
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Mail :
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Homeless and Allocations Team Community Services Plymouth City Council Plymouth PL1 2AA |
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Phone :
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01752 305952 |
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Email :
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housingallocations@plymouth.gov.uk |
Related pages
Homelessness and allocations frequently asked questions
Unfurnished properties to let
- What is choice based letting?
- Why are you advertising these properties?
- I’m not on the housing list what do I do?
- Are they fit to live in?
- What does suitable for a family mean?
- What does suitable for mature persons mean?
- Can I bid for a property that is larger than my family needs? What size of property can I bid for?
- How are you going to decide who gets the property?
- Can I bid for more than one property?
- What happens if I refuse a property that I am successful in bidding for?
- Are all these properties going to be demolished?
- If it is a property that is due for demolition what will happen to me?
- Can the rent be reduced because they are in low demand areas?
- How will I know if I have been successful (or not)?
- If I have not been successful, will you tell me why?
- Will I know what level of priority has been successful?
- When will I be able to move in/view the property?
- I want to bid for a different property I’ve seen empty but is not on your list?
- If I miss the deadline, can I still bid?
- I didn’t see the advert - it’s not fair?
- What sort of tenancy will I be offered?
- If I accept the property will I still have an application on the waiting list?
- When will I be able to have a transfer?
- I was a Council tenant but was evicted, when can I re-apply?
- I’ve got health problems - can I bid for a property?
- Will I be entitled to aids and adaptations to meet my needs?
- Can I have a pet at the property?
What is choice based letting?
Choice based letting is different from the traditional way of allocating homes from the waiting list and allows applicants to apply for homes which are advertised. Applicants can see the available homes and can apply for any home which they are matched to.
Why are you advertising these properties?
As part of preparing for choice based letting we offer a small number of homes that priority housing applicants have indicated would not be their first preference. This has allowed households who have a housing need, but who would not normally be made an offer of accommodation, to consider properties which might not be in their preferred area or type, but will provide affordable housing.
I’m not on the housing list what do I do?
You will need to make an application to join the Plymouth housing register. An application can be obtained at any Plymouth City Council Housing Office or by phoning the Allocations Team 01752 305496.
Are they fit to live in?
Yes. Every property that is offered for bidding will be inspected and any essential repair work undertaken prior to the tenancy starting. There may be some non-urgent repairs that will be arranged at the tenancy start.
What does suitable for a family mean?
When we allocate properties we are required to make sure that the accommodation is the right size to meet the requirements of your household. This is partly defined by law and partly to ensure that we make the best use of the housing stock available. Sometimes we are able to permit a household to occupy a property that is larger than the needs of the family but this would be very unusual. The new policy does allow a family to over occupy by one bedroom in an area of your choice provided that this does not make you statutory overcrowded.
Family means a household where there is a need for more than one bedroom due to there being children or other household members who need their own bedroom. Homes suitable for a family will have at least two bedrooms and therefore are not best used if allocated to single persons.
What does suitable for mature persons mean?
Some of the homes that we are advertising are only available to households that either have specific needs or have been identified to help the Council to maintain a balance within a local community. The property may have easy access or a layout that would benefit older persons or that the location has been agreed for persons of a particular age group.
Can I bid for a property that is larger than my family needs? What size of property can I bid for?
When allocating properties Plymouth City Council have agreed with other social landlords the size of accommodation best suited to need.
See table below for a general guide:
| Household | Bedrooms |
|---|---|
| Single person | Flatlet |
| Two adults living as a couple | 1 |
| Single person with regular access to children | 1 |
| One adult (or two adults living together as a couple) with one child or where there is a pregnancy* | 2 |
| One adult (or two adults living together as a couple) with two children of same sex with less than eight years between children or children of opposite sex where neither child has reached the age of eight | 2 |
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One adult (or two adults living together as a couple) with either: Two children of the opposite sex where the oldest child has reached the age of eight, or |
3 |
| Two children of the same sex where there is an age gap of at least eight years between the children, or | 3 |
| Three children, or | 3 |
| Four children all of one sex or two of each sex where the age gap is suitable | 3 |
| One adult (or two adults living together as a couple) with four children, three of one sex and one of the other | 4 |
How are you going to decide who gets the property?
Homes will be offered to the household who has the highest assessed need and which would also make best use of the property based on the size of the accommodation offered - see 'can I bid for a property that is larger than my families needs'.
The allocation decision will be based on the following principles. Once the bidding has closed bids are scrutinised to confirm banding assessment and eligibility for the accommodation. Where there are two or more bidders with the same priority, the household who has held this priority status the longest will be the successful bidder. The highest eligible bidder will be invited to view the property. Applicants will be expected to make a decision on whether to accept the tenancy immediately after the viewing. If the bidder with the most priority refuses the tenancy then it will be offered to the person with the next highest priority.
Can I bid for more than one property?
Yes, you can bid for any property that would meet the housing needs relating to your application, up to a maximum of three bids during each bidding cycle.
What happens if I refuse a property that I am successful in bidding for?
Your application will remain in the same position as when originally bid and you will be able to bid for further properties in the next advert.
Are all these properties going to be demolished?
No.
If it is a property that is due for demolition what will happen to me?
Some homes are programmed for demolition or redevelopment in the future. When this becomes relevant Plymouth City Council will contact you to discuss arranging a transfer to a different property. Where this takes place we arrange to meets certain costs incurred in moving.
Can the rent be reduced because they are in low demand areas?
The rents are set before the property is advertised and cannot be changed, however all the rents can be met by Housing Benefit should your circumstances permit. The local Housing Office can help in making a claim.
How will I know if I have been successful (or not)?
When the bidding cycle is completed we will only contact the applicants that have the highest priority at that time. We aim to contact the successful bidder by telephone as soon as possible after the end of the bidding cycle.
If I have not been successful, will you tell me why?
Unfortunately due to the numbers of households bidding it will not be practical to advise every bidder where they have been unsuccessful.
Will I know what level of priority has been successful?
The following week the outcomes of the previous week will be made available on the bidding results page.
When will I be able to view and move in to the property?
A viewing will be arranged after the bidding cycle has finished with a view to starting the tenancy as soon as the property is available to move into. This may be after the housing association or council have confirmed your circumstances.
I want to bid for a different property I’ve seen empty but is not on your list?
Only properties that are in the advert are available for bidding. It is hoped that within the next 12 months all Plymouth City Council property vacancies will be available and advertised.
If I miss the deadline, can I still bid?
No, once the deadline has passed no further bids can be accepted but you will be entitled to bid on the next advert.
I didn’t see the advert - it’s not fair?
Unfortunately it has not been possible to write to every applicant on the for every vacancy. Properties will be advertised in the Evening Herald every Thursday, at all Housing Services reception areas, Plymouth City Council Libraries and Social Services offices. We are also circulating the advert to other social landlords and a number of related voluntary agencies and it is displayed on the housing pages of the Plymouth City Council website.
What sort of tenancy will I be offered?
All new tenancies with Plymouth City Council are introductory tenancies (unless you are a secure tenant). New tenancies with Housing Associations are usually starter tenancies. These are limited for an initial 12 months but become secure or assured tenancies after this time if the terms of the tenancy have been kept.
If I accept the property will I still have an application on the waiting list?
No. Once a tenancy has been granted the circumstances relating to your original application will have changed and the application will be closed.
When will I be able to have a transfer?
You can apply to the Plymouth housing register as soon as you have moved in, however, if the property is suitable for your housing needs then you will be placed in band E and will not be eligible to join. Should your circumstances change you will be assessed and placed in the band relevant to your needs.
I was a Council tenant but was evicted, when can I re-apply?
If you were evicted for rent arrears you will need to contact the Housing Office responsible for your previous tenancy and arrange to resolve any outstanding debts by clearing account (s) or making and demonstrating an arrangement to repay the debt.
Where an applicant or applicant's partner (included on the application that has lived within Plymouth) are responsible for an outstanding debt against a tenancy, the application will be registered but will normally be awarded no preference other than in exceptional circumstances.
If the eviction was due to other breaches of tenancy the team leader will be required to review your circumstances to confirm that no such breaches would be likely to happen in any new tenancy.
I have health problems - can I bid for a property?
Yes. If you are the successful bidder we would arrange a viewing to confirm that the property would be suitable and meet your needs. It is possible that the property may not be suitable and would create further difficulties in which case we would have to withdraw the offer.
Will I be entitled to aids and adaptations to meet my needs?
If the property could be adapted to meet longer term needs it may be necessary to arrange for an Occupational Therapist to undertake an assessment to ensure that the property would be suitable.
Can I have a pet at the property?
Certain properties are considered unsuitable for certain pets, those that need to go outside for exercise or that might cause a nuisance to neighbours or cause suffering to the animal concerned. Specifically cats and dogs are not permitted in multi storey blocks of flats which have lift access.
