About Home Connections and Choice-based Lettings

What is it?

Choice-based lettings is the name given to the process for letting social housing in the Royal Borough. The Council advertises social housing (housing run by the Council and housing associations) through a Choice Based Letting Scheme. This allows people who are on the Common Housing Register to see what is available and bid for the housing they wish to apply for.  Most vacancies that are available to the Council are advertised on the Home Connections website. This includes property in Greater London, as well as sheltered accommodation.

How does it work?

As properties become available for letting, full details are advertised on a website: www.homeconnections.org.uk/RBKC. Printed lists are also available from the Customer Service Centre at the Town Hall. If you are looking for social housing and registered on the Common Housing Register, you can bid for available properties. You can bid through the website, by telephone or by text. Properties are advertised on a seven day cycle from Monday morning until bidding closes at midnight the following Sunday.

How do I know which properties I can bid for?

Each property advert will tell you how many housing points you need to be able to bid for it. You will usually need at least 100 points to be able to bid for a property. The only properties that are available for less than 100 points are sheltered accommodation for people aged 60 years and over (or in some cases 55 years and over). The property advert will also tell you the priority group (for example, homeless applicants) and the number of bedrooms the property has. You can bid for as many properties as you like, as long as your application matches the minimum points, priority group and bed size of the property.

What happens when the bidding closes?

We will normally contact the six bidders with the highest number of points who fit the priority group criteria. They will be invited to view the property. Properties are let to the applicant with the highest number of points. If there is more than one applicant with the same amount of points, the property will be let to the applicant who was accepted on to the Common Housing Register first.

How likely am I to find a property?

Demand for accommodation in the borough far outweighs supply. The more flexible you are about your area of choice, the higher your chance of being re-housed. However, the total number of properties (of all sizes) let from April 2009 to March 2010 was only 556. Over 60 per cent of these were studios or one bedroom properties.

How to find out more

In person:

Customer Service Centre

The Town Hall

Hornton Street

London W8 7NX

Monday to Friday 8.30am to 5pm

 

By phone:

Housingline 020 7361 3008

 

By email:

Housingnominations@rbkc.gov.uk

 

Website:

www.homeconnections.org.uk/RBKC

A guide to bidding for properties is available on the home  onnections website, or call us for a copy. Information from this document can be made available in alternative formats and in different languages. Please contact Housingline on 020 7361 3008 or email housing@rbkc.gov.uk