Frequently Asked Questions

This page aims to list all the frequently asked questions by applicants and to clear up any misunderstanding about the bidding process and how CBL actually works. This page will be constantly updated with new queries that we have received from multiple applicants.

1.) "The housing register application form mentions 'proofs' - what do I need to provide with my application?"

For every application we require proof of ID for every member of the household (to be re-housed) and only one proof of your current address; however, if household members live at different addresses we will require a proof per address.

A full list of all acceptable proofs can be downloaded here. This includes information regarding proof of pregnancy and information for those applicants with access to children.

We DO NOT require originals to be sent to us - photocopies or scanned documents are preferred.

If you bring originals into the Local Service Points they will be happy to photocopy these for you at no charge. However, we receive a number of applications every week that include original and valuable documentation (including passports and driving licenses) that come to us through the standard post. Not only is this of concern as they may get lost, but the Council has to send these items back via recorded delivery which incurs a cost.

When emailing scanned documents they should be sent to Joanne Newcomb stating your full name and Address in the subject line.

2.) "Surely the earlier I bid for a property the more priority I have?"

No - when you place a bid during the two week cycle does not affect your priority. If you placed a bid on the first day of a cycle you would gain no more priority than if you placed it on the last day of the same cycle.

3.) "I placed my bid on the first day of the cycle and was 1st - a week later I am now 15th - why?"

This relates to question 1 (above) of priority and bidding. If you place a bid early on the first Wednesday of a cycle you could get an "artificial" sense of the priority you will ultimately have for a chosen property. If you are the only person who has at that point bid for a property you will be number one on a property with no-one above you. As the cycle progresses and more people bid your actual priority for a property will become clearer as other applicants may have greater priority (higher band) or have been waiting on the Housing Register for longer (earlier application date) than you.

4.) "I have noticed that a property near to where I live has recently become empty, can I be considered for it?"

Not all properties that become available in the district are Housing Association properties. If this is an “empty” Housing Association property it may well be put the CBL system and advertised in the normal way. Sometimes properties can look empty when they are actually awaiting repairs or redecoration, which is why we encourage all applicants to check the Choice Based Lettings system every fortnight for available properties .

We are unable to deal with individual requests to be considered for specific Housing Association properties – all expressions of interest must be made via the CBL bidding process.