Successful bids
This page explains what will happen if you are the highest bidder for a council property.
How we shortlist
Every other Tuesday following the close of bidding, we run shortlists for our advertised properties and each property is offered to the first eligible applicant on the list.
If you are the first eligible applicant we will contact you by telephone.
If we can not contact you by telephone, we will write to you giving you five days to respond. The offer will be withdrawn if you do not respond within five days.
Keep your contact details up-to-date
It is really important that you make sure your contact details on your application are up-to-date. If we cannot contact you, we cannot offer you a property. If you are going away and you will be uncontactable please let us know.
What happens once I have been contacted
If you are not a council tenant
We will arrange for a member of the housing team to interview you at the local information point or customer service centre.
At the interview we will -
- ask you to provide proof of your identity and income
- check that all of the points awarded on your application still apply and that your circumstances have not changed
- check for any previous tenancies with the council, former tenants’ arrears, recoverable orders and information from the Anti-social Behaviour Team
- ask you about any unspent criminal convictions and current or former bankruptcy
- request references from any landlords you have had a tenancy with in the last two years
- offer you advice about credit union accounts, where to buy reasonably priced furniture, and tell you about grants, loans and benefits that you may be entitled to
If the information you provide is satisfactory, your circumstances have not changed, and we receive positive references from your previous landlords, the offer of a property will be progressed. Please note that should we discover any previous unacceptable behaviour in any council or private tenancy, we may consider downbanding you to Band E or making you ineligible which means that your name would be removed from the housing list.
Find out more about banding
If you are already a council tenant
You will be contacted by your neighbourhood housing officer who will contact arrange an appointment to visit you at home.
During the visit we will -
- inspect each room of your home and check for any unauthorised alterations or damage to the property
- check that your circumstances have not changed and that your points are correct
- ask you to give up-to-date income details
- check if you are in rent arrears or if you have committed anti-social behaviour
If the condition of your property is satisfactory, your application details are correct, you do not have rent arrears, and you have not committed anti-social behaviour then you will be “cleared for transfer”. Your neighbourhood housing officer will inform the office responsible for your new property.
Viewing the property
When the property keys are available we will contact you by telephone to arrange a viewing of the property. If this is not possible we will send you a letter with a viewing date.
A housing officer will meet you at the property, show you around each room, go through the Lettable Standard checklist with you and give you the Lettable Standard Leaflet.
