Contents
- General Needs Accommodation
- Older Person Designated Accommodation
- Choice of Accommodation Criteria
- Re-advertising Properties
- Definitions of Eligibility
- Amendment of a Housing Application
The Lettings Criteria are the rules that are used to determine the properties for which applicants may apply
General Needs Accommodation
General Needs Accommodation includes properties designated for the use of single persons, couples and families and includes flats, maisonettes and houses.
Applicants aged under 60 assessed by Medical Panel as needing ground floor accommodation can bid for designated older person flats and bungalows.
Applicants accepting properties with a warden call system which is part of the property, and stated within the advert for the property, will be liable to pay the service charge for the warden call system.
Older Person Designated Accommodation
Applications for Older Person designated accommodation are accepted from applicants of at least 60 years of age. For joint applicants at least one of the applicants must have reached the age of 60 years.
Applicants aged 60 years and over (including couples where one applicant is aged 60 years and over) must register for either General Needs accommodation or Older Person accommodation but not both.
Where an applicant reaches the age of 60 and wishes to change their request from General Needs Accommodation to Older Person Accommodation they cannot bring forward the waiting time accrued before their 60th birthday. A pre-existing application will therefore be re-dated for allocation purposes to the date of the oldest applicant’s 60th birthday.
Applicants accepting properties with a warden call system which is part of the property, and stated within the advert for the property, will be liable to pay the service charge for the warden call system.
Choice of Accommodation Criteria
The size and type of property will normally be offered you will depend on the size and type of your household as shown in the following table overleaf.
Older Person Designated Accommodation:
| Older Person designated flat | Single person | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| Bedsit | Yes | No |
| 1-Bed | Yes | Yes |
| 2-Bed | Yes | Yes |
| Bungalow | Single person | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Bed | Yes | Yes |
| 2-Bed | Yes | Yes |
| Older Person Independent Living Centre Flat* | Single person | Couple |
|---|---|---|
| 1-Bed | Yes | Yes |
| 2-Bed | Yes | Yes |
*Applicants bidding for Independent Living Centre will be subject to an assessment to determine their suitability for this type of accommodation.
General needs accommodation*:
| Flat or Maisonette | Sing person | Couple | Family - 1 or more child / children | Family - 3 or more children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedsit | Yes | No | No | No |
| 1-Bed | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 2-Bed | Yes | Yes | Yes | No |
| 3-Bed | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| House | Sing person | Couple | Family - 1 or more child / children | Family - 3 or more children |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-Bed | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| 2-Bed | No | Yes | Yes | No |
| 3-Bed | No | No | Yes | Yes |
| 4-Bed | No | No | No | Yes |
Re-advertising Properties
Where a property has not been able allocated on the first advert it will be re-advertise, and allocated in the following order:
- For Older Person designated properties:
Applicants will be considered in order of their Band and then the applicant’s position within that Band in the following order:
- Applicants in Band A over 60
- Applicants in Band A over 40
- Applicants in Band B over 60
- Applicants in Band B over 40
- Applicants in Band C over 60
- Applicants in Band C over 40
- Applicants in Band D over 60
- Applicants in Band D over 40
- Applicants in Band E over 60
- Applicants in Band E over 40
- For General Needs properties:
In the absence of an applicant from Bands A – D who would normally qualify for the property (e.g. couples or families for a house) bids will be considered from applicants who would not normally qualify for that type of property. This will be looked at on an individual basis.
Definitions of Eligibility
Minimum age for any offer of a property
We will not normally offer a property to an applicant aged under 18 years.
However applicants aged 16 or 17 years will be accepted as in line with section 2.7.
Older Persons
Older Persons include an applicant aged 60 years and over. In the case of couples at least one applicant must be aged 60 years and over. However, should the applicant aged 60 years or over, pass away prior to allocation, the remaining applicant will cease to receive any accrued waiting time, prior to their 60th birthday. If the remaining applicant is still under 60 they will not be classed as Older Person.
Single Persons
Where a person has applied for re-housing solely for him or herself they are classed as a single person.
Couples
Where two applicants have applied for accommodation together they are classed as a couple. Couples include applicants who are married, or have a civil partnership, or intend to live together on a permanent basis. Couples do not currently have to share the same accommodation. There is no distinction between opposite and same-sex relationships.
Families
The definition of a family includes:
- Where a household includes a child aged under 18 years who live with the applicant on a permanent basis
- Where a household includes a family member aged 18 years and over who currently lives with the applicant and intends to do so on a permanent basis
- Lone parent families are treated the same as two parent families
- There is no distinction between opposite and same-sex relationships
- Where a single applicant has parental responsibilities with a clear legal agreement for residency arrangements.
For the purposes of eligibility for a property, an applicant/partner/household member who is 26 weeks pregnant is classified as having a child.
Conditions for Allocations of Properties
Applicants with a local connection to the Bassetlaw District Council area may register an application immediately after the commencement of their tenancy but will not be allocated another property within the first 12 months of their current tenancy. Applicants will be suspended until this time.
Applicants holding a tenancy with a Registered Social Landlord (that is a Council, ALMO, Housing Association or other “Not For Profit” organisation) will not be considered for a property unless they have an identified housing need, for example they require:
- larger accommodation
- smaller accommodation
- change in medical circumstances
- to provide / or receive care.
Applicants with no identified housing need, will have their application suspended.
Amendment of a Housing Application
Where a relationship between joint applicants breaks down the application will be cancelled. Both parties may submit a new housing application which will be dated from receipt of the new form.
Where there is a dispute between former joint applicants about the custody of children, proof of legal access to the children will be required.
A single person’s housing application can be amended to a couple or family application at the request of the applicant if:
- The applicant and their partner have married or have a civil partnership; proof will be required.
- The applicant and their partner have been living together as a couple, for at least 12 months at the same address.
- The applicant now has a child that is living with them on a permanent basis proof of which will be required
- Where a single applicant has parental responsibilities with a clear legal agreement for residency arrangements.
The application will be amended to a joint housing application (if applicable), retaining the original application date and any subsequent tenancy granted as a joint tenancy.
Where a housing application has been amended it will be re-assessed on the basis of the change of circumstances and may result in a change of the applicant’s Housing Register Band.
Last Updated on Wednesday, May 8, 2024