Lettings Policy
This policy outlines the ways in which we allocate and let our affordable rent homes: Scope of policy
Our aims are to:
• Meet local housing need and minimise homelessness by working in partnership with local authorities or other agencies, within agreed frameworks
• Contribute to the development of stable communities by effectively and responsibly letting good quality, affordable homes
• Let our homes in a fair and transparent way
• Make the best use of available stock
• Minimise property voids and rent loss
• Identify and help customers who are vulnerable or require additional support
This is a broad policy statement.
Letting arrangements relating to specific schemes or resident groups are not detailed in this document and may be subject to specific criteria set out in particular contracts with our partners.
Our staff are empowered to use discretion to best meet customer needs and this policy may be applied slightly differently in exceptional circumstances.
Access to Accommodation
We are committed to working with local authorities and other bodies to provide appropriate housing that meets the applicant’s needs within agreed frameworks. Access to housing is managed with partners using referral arrangements or choice based lettings schemes.
We also accept a small number of direct applications by separate arrangement. These are subject to eligibility criteria set out below:
Eligible Applicants
We aim to provide housing for those who needs are not adequately met by the commercial housing market.
Eligibility Criteria (new applicants):
Applicants must:
• Demonstrate a housing need
• Be over 18 years of age.
• If they are not a UK national, either have leave to remain in the UK, not be subject to immigration control or be a European Economic Area (EEA) National exercising their treaty rights.
• Not currently be serving a custodial sentence
• Not hold a tenancy or own their own residential accommodation elsewhere • Be able to demonstrate they can sustain a tenancy including being able to afford the rent and any additional service charges
• Bid or be nominated for the appropriate size property that they are eligible for using our bedroom standard. (maximum occupancy details in the tenancy agreement).
• Have not been previously evicted from a KWHA property due to breach of tenancy agreement
• Not be known to have – or members of their household – known to have caused serious anti-social behaviour or other unacceptable housing related behaviour eg. Have been evicted or convicted due to anti-social behaviour or cannot demonstrate that they can comply with the conditions of the tenancy satisfactorily
• Not have outstanding debts to KWHA or any other organisation as a result of failure to pay rent, court costs, rechargeable repairs, or any other debt.
Eligibility Criteria (Existing residents):
Applicants must:
• Demonstrate a housing need
• Demonstrate that they can sustain the tenancy including being able to afford the rent and any additional service charges
• Have no outstanding debts to KWHA including rent, court costs or charges • Have maintained the property in good condition
• Have complied with the terms of the tenancy
• Apply for the appropriate sized property using our bedroom standard • Be an assured or fixed term tenant
Sensitive Lets
We may decide to treat the letting of a certain property as a sensitive let, where there has been a management issue. Further elibility criteria will be set before the property is advertised to ensure that it is suitable for the applicant. For example there may be a requirement that the applicant not have certain support needs that would deem the property unsuitable for them due to the circumstances around it.
Property Allocation
When allocating a property, we take into account the following to determine whether a property is suitable for the applicant:
• The type of property
• Their household size
• Their support needs
Bedroom standard
We allocate properties to the appropriate size household by taking into account the number and floor area of rooms available for sleeping in relation to statutory overcrowding as detailed in the Housing Act 1985.
Our bedroom standard reflects the Department for Work and Pension social sector size criteria, ensuring that households do not under-occupy their homes when they move in and risk facing housing benefit reductions.
We allow one bedroom for each single adult or couple and an extra bedroom for: • Any other person aged 16 years or over
• Two children of the same gender under the age of 16.
• Two children under the age of 10 regardless of gender
• Any other child aged under 16.
• A child or adult who requires overnight care from a non resident carer • A child or adult unable to share a bedroom because of a disability. • A foster or adopted child.
We verify household members, which includes requiring proof of residency for anyone over 18 not listed on the tenancy agreement.
Properties that have been specifically adapted for use by those with disabilities are, wherever possible, offered to applicants with a disability or support need to ensure best use of stock.
Accepting and refusing applicants
We aim to let our homes in a responsible manner to create sustainable tenancies and communities and avoid establishing tenancies that will fail.
We may refuse to let a property where an applicant is unable to demonstrate their ability to manage their tenure or where they require a level of support which we cannot provide. Where we withdraw an offer of accommodation, we give clear reasons.
Nominations and referrals:
We request and accept nominations from local authorities and other partners in accordance with nomination agreements and the eligibility criteria set out in this
policy. Each nomination is carefully considered before an offer of housing is made to ensure that the property is appropriate for the proposed applicant. We may request additional information to support the nomination, which may include: medical evidence, a risk assessment, an occupational therapist report, a tenancy record from a previous landlord and eviction dates, for those facing homelessness.
There may be occasions when we may need to reject a nomination. Grounds for rejection may include:
• submission of inaccurate or insufficient information
• unsuitability of the property for the applicant’s needs
• the applicant’s inability to demonstrate they can sustain a tenure • the applicant is known to have perpetrated serious anti-social behaviour or is a known serious offender
• the applicant is subject to Immigration Control ( as defined in the Asylum & Immigration Act 1996) and not otherwise re-included by regulations made by the Secretary of State.
Exclusion Policy
• The property is unsuitable if the applicant would be overcrowding or under occupying without agreement or may be impacted by benefit restrictions. • The property is subject to a local letting’s plan and the applicant does not meet the agreed criteria for letting.
• The property is subject to a Town and Country Planning Act Section 106 Agreement and the applicant does not meet the required criteria. • We’ve been unable to contact the applicant or nominations within 48 hours. • Where required we have no documentary evidence that the applicant has the right to reside in the UK and/or has no access/recourse to public funds. The customer must provide this within 2 working days of request.
• The applicant has an interest in an alternative property, and they are legally and reasonably able to reside in it.
• There has been a change in circumstances which results in the applicant’s points or banding being amended and they are no longer the successful bidder. • The applicant is unable to supply appropriate identification along with other information requested by us as part of the assessment process within 2 working days of request
• The applicant is under 18 years of age
• The property is designated for older people and/or there are covenants in place in relation to age and the applicant and/or members of the household do not qualify to occupy the property.
• The property is subject to a sensitive letting due to historic issues in that area and the applicant is not considered suitable.
• The applicant has failed a probationary or starter tenancy with us or another registered landlord. This will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
Financial status
• The nominated applicant is an existing customer or leaseholder who owes money to us, or any other body,either for rent, service charges, garage rent, care and support charges, rechargeable works orders or any other debt.
• The nominated applicant has a housing related debt i.e., rent arrears, recharges etc. either with us or another housing provider, including private landlords. • The nominated applicant , or any other cohabitee, has an interest in an alternative property, either by way of a financial interest, being named on a mortgage agreement or named as a tenant of another property and, can reasonably be expected to raise funds to secure alternative accommodation in the private sector.
• The applicant has enough assets to be able to meet their housing needs by renting privately or securing a mortgage.
• The applicant is not able to produce evidence of access to enough funds which will enable them to pay for the rent on the property and associated living expenses within 2 working days of request.
Support needs
• A suitable confirmed support package is not in place which would provide the help needed to maintain the tenancy.
• The applicant has failed or is refusing to engage with relevant support services in relation to an existing or proposed support package, to assist in the monitoring and management of their tenancy and/or health.
• The applicant’s needs (either physical or mental health) exceed what our service can provide after considering all relevant information from key support providers.
• The applicant has applied for a property that does not meet their immediate need, e.g., an adapted property where the applicant does not need the adaptations provided or needs adaptations which cannot be made in the property.
• An applicant for extra care has complex behaviours or needs which may impact on the welfare, safety or wellbeing of other residents or staff. This may include applicants with:
• severe mental health issues
• a history of drug and/ or alcohol abuse
• complex behavioural needs
• a history of violence
• convictions for serious offences
• a requirement for nursing care
Behaviour
• An existing tenant hasn’t maintained their current property and it doesn’t meet our lettable standard.
• The applicant and other household members haven’t given accurate information about their circumstances to us or the local authority. This could be verbally, in writing or on their housing application form and so have obtained tenancy by fraud or deception.
• There’s a history of or current evidence of anti-social behaviour, hate crime or criminal activities. Each case will be carefully considered considering all relevant circumstances.
• The applicant is one of our former tenants and caused significant damage to our property resulting in recharges being raised against them which have not been repaid.
• The applicant has been threatening, abusive, or has been persistently vexatious towards one of our employees.
• There’s evidence that the applicant has previously used rented accommodation for illegal or immoral purposes.
• The applicant or other household members have committed serious anti-social behaviour or criminal activity. We usually look at behaviour in the last 2 years, or in the 2 years since being released from prison. If the behaviour was very serious, we may refuse applicants even if it occurred more than 2 years ago. A previous conviction doesn’t mean that we will automatically refuse an applicant housing.
• The behaviour of the applicant, other household members and visitors to the applicant’s current or previous home was unacceptable, and we would have considered tenancy enforcement action if they had been our tenants.
• The applicant or other household members of their household may pose a risk to their family, neighbours, or the wider community.
• The applicant or household member is a Scheduled Offender as defined by Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA). This will be considered on a case-by-case basis in consultation from MAPPA and other agencies.
Our aim is to balance fair and equal access to housing with the management of any potential risk posed by serious offenders, in order to protect our residents and local communities from offences and anti-social behaviour.
Letting Standards
We allocate vacant properties that are physically fit for long term human habitation in accordance with the statutory and regulatory standards set out by Homes England.
Appeals and Complaints
An applicant can appeal a decision if they are dissatisfied with the way that their application, selection, offer or allocation have been processed.
Appeals can be submitted for consideration to the lettings panel.
Any complaints relating to the above can also be submitted in writing to the customer service manager, care of our registered address.
Data Privacy and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
In drafting this policy we have undertaken assessments seeking to ensure that we are considering equality, diversity and inclusion. Our assessments did not indicate that any group has been adversely affected by our lettings and allocations policy.
We have also carried out a privacy impact assessment as some information regarding applicants may be sensitive. However, we seek to balance responsible information sharing with responsible letting of our homes.
To request a copy of our Data Privacy Statement please contact info@keyworkershousing.co.uk.
Document Control:
Karin Hensher
Housing Manager
Key Workers Housing Association Ltd.
Tayfield House, 38 Poole Road, Bournemouth BH4 9DW
T 01202 755600 M 07778 049 692 E info@keyworkershousing.co.uk
Registered under the Industrial & Provident Societies Act 1965 No. 26953R. Registered with TSA Social Housing Regulator No. 4667. Member of the Independent Housing Ombudsman Scheme.