Kent Choice Based Lettings Partnership

In July 2008, Thanet District Council adopted a choice based lettings scheme called Kent Homechoice. This gives people on the housing waiting list greater choice over where they want to live. Kent Homechoice.

What is Choice based letting?

Choice Based Lettings is a new approach to letting homes which will make lettings arrangements more transparent and give prospective tenants more control over the lettings process.

Rather than homes being allocated by the council, choice based lettings allow tenants and prospective tenants to bid for the available properties they are interested in. Available homes are advertised every two weeks, which will allow applicants to see what Council or housing association housing is available, and enable them to play a greater role in the process of selecting their home. 

Choice based lettings will not increase the amount of available social housing. However, people seeking re-housing will have accurate information on how many homes are actually available, where these homes are located and their chances of being housed. As the system is much more transparent, housing applicants will have all the information necessary to make their own informed choices.

Bidding

All registered home-seekers can 'bid' for homes advertised.  Bidding can be done through the internet, by phone, by digital television, by text or by coupon.

The properties are listed usually with a photograph of the property, its location and the size of household that the home is suitable for.  People will only be able to bid for a property suitable for their household size.

A shortlist of bidders will be drawn up and the home-seeker in the highest priority will be offered the property.  If they do not want to accept the property it will be offered to the next highest bidder and so on.

Other Options

One of the advantages of the transparency of choice based lettings is that it helps people understand the likelihood of being re-housed, and consider options other than being housed by the Council or housing associations.

There are many other alternatives to social housing available to home-seekers in Thanet and we will regularly publicise alternative options, such as the Council’s Rent Deposit Scheme, and promote the role of the Housing Options Team in working with home-seekers to resolve their housing difficulties.

Information

Applicants now have more information on their housing opportunities.  They will see the number of properties available and the level of priority of successful bidders. 

Choice based lettings provides a place to advertise opportunities for shared ownership, and hopefully in the future private rented options.

While creating greater choice for people seeking re-housing, choice based lettings encourages people to take greater responsibility for their future housing.  It helps people who are unlikely to get into social housing to consider other options to meet their housing requirements.

Support

Other statutory and voluntary agencies that support vulnerable members of the community will have an important role in ensuring their clients benefit from Choice Based Lettings.  We will help train these agencies so they can support their clients to bid for properties.  Our Housing Options team will also provide advice and support.

There will be a variety of ways to bid.  People will be able to choose a method which suits them.  Information will be available in public areas and we will also have a procedure where people can bid on the behalf of others, e.g. relatives and friends, staff or support workers, who may have problems otherwise.

We will monitor people who do not bid to find out why this is happening and see if there is anything we can do to help them. There will be more publicity on choice based lettings before the launch so that everyone is aware of the new system, and where they can go for more information and help.

E-mail:

housing@thanet.gov.uk

Tel: 01843 577277

Fax: 01843 577340