Council Housing List

taylor86

I registered on the list for a council property 5 months ago, I have bided on a few properties since then but as I currently have housing realise that I am way down the list. However this week I was offered a council property. During the viewing the housing officer was gobsmacked that I had been offered this after 5 months. He said the wait for that area is 2 years or so for those that a re currently homeless. He checked the bidding list and it showed nearly 30 had bidded for the property and I had come out as the highest priority.

We have decided to reject the property for various genuine reasons but I'm wondering does anyone have any idea how this could have happened? Does it sound like a mistake on the councils side or possibly just no one with a housing need bided on this particular property?

I'm wondering what the chance is of being offered another property in the foreseeable future?

StrugglingApprentice

Personally, i think you should have taken it. Its muuuch easier to get a transfer than a property.

cheesepuffdeathsquad

StrugglingApprentice wrote: »

Personally, i think you should have taken it. Its muuuch easier to get a transfer than a property.

as above. i'd also look to ensure that rejecting a property you have bidded on does not negatively effect your priority.

as for the reason you were offered it, hard to say really but it could be lack of other bidders. if there was some mistake on your priority this probably would have arisen with earlier bids?

Mokka

It seems the computer told the Housing Allocations that you have priority and they've listened! Things have changed since I was in your situation...

If the property was so undesirable, that explains why you were offered it. Many people opt for automatic bids being placed for them (ie people with even less priority than you will be entered into bidding without even knowing about it).

No point regretting decision you can't reverse. You are not homeless and you can afford to wait, something better might come along.

keyser666

Think it was a terrible decision to not take it. The likelihood is you were offered it because the other people who bid had a lower priority than you and you were on the list the longest of those who had the same priority.

Based on what the HO said to you about how long youd need to wait, you should have took it, remained there for 12 months and then transferred to somewhere else, I think now you will be waiting far longer now for somewhere when you bid again.

As mentioned above, if you reject a property you are only allowed to reject so many times before they bump your priority down

taylor86

I haven't told them I'm not taking it yet, I have until Monday. The housing officer was very honest with us about the area. There is a high police presence in that particular cul de sac.

You have to live somewhere for 12 months before you can apply to move and the house needed a massive amount of work decor wise. This doesn't bother me but I wouldn't want to do all that work and spend on flooring knowing I would be leaving only to do it all again. It wouldn't be financially viable.

I'm just trying to weigh up the fact that realistically I probably won't get offered somewhere again anytime soon.

taylor86

Also in my area there is no limit to how many you can reject. It doesn't bump you down the list.

LisaLou1982

Check the transfer criteria as well - we have a 5 year transfer rule which applies to all of our tenants unless there is an exceptional change of circumstance which would require them to move beforehand.

t0rt0ise

It's probably a really undesirable road and others know this so didn't bid. Be careful. You'd be wise to go and look again in the evenings over the weekend and see what's up.


Others advise you to take it just to get housing, I wouldn't do that. I was offered a house in a grotty area and refused. Okay it took a couple more years of waiting to get something but when I did it was a new build house on a lovely road and it enabled me years later to do a swap to London. Had I accepted the grotty house I'd never have found someone willing to swap. So be careful and bide your time.

keyser666

t0rt0ise wrote: »

It's probably a really undesirable road and others know this so didn't bid. Be careful. You'd be wise to go and look again in the evenings over the weekend and see what's up.


Others advise you to take it just to get housing, I wouldn't do that. I was offered a house in a grotty area and refused. Okay it took a couple more years of waiting to get something but when I did it was a new build house on a lovely road and it enabled me years later to do a swap to London. Had I accepted the grotty house I'd never have found someone willing to swap. So be careful and bide your time.

Although it might be an undesirable road, you will find those sort of undesirables who have flown the nest will probably have council accomodation elsewhere and want to move back to near their family, so always a chance to get out