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- Who can use the service?
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Frequently asked questions
What is the Allocation Scheme?
The Allocation Scheme tells you who can join our Housing Register and how priority for accommodation is decided between different types of applicants. You can view or download:
Who can apply to join our Housing Register?
You can apply to join our Housing Register if you are aged 16 or over. There are special rules if you are 16 or 17 years old.
How long before I find out if I have been accepted onto the Housing Register?
We aim to process all applications within 20 working days and let you know the result in writing.
Who can’t apply to join our Housing Register?
You can’t apply to join the Housing Register if:
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you are subject to immigration control
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you or a member of your household has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make you unsuitable to be a tenant.
If we decide you can’t come onto our Housing Register we will write to you and tell you why.
Can I apply if I am an owner occupier or own a property?
Yes. You will automatically be placed in the Low Band. However, if you can show you need alternative accommodation and you don’t have enough resources to sort out accommodation for yourself, we will carry out an assessment of your housing needs.
A need for alternative accommodation might include:
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medical conditions
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disability
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frailty
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serious disrepair
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possession action
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acute financial hardship.
How do I apply?
You can request an application form by:
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telephone (01295 252535 or 01295 221809)
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personal visit to our offices
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email to housing@cherwell.gov.uk
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using our contact form
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downloading it here.
How do you decide who has priority?
The law says we must give reasonable preference to you if you:
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are homeless
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are threatened with homelessness and in priority need
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occupy insanitary or overcrowded housing or live in unsatisfactory housing conditions
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need to move on medical, welfare or disability grounds
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need to move to a particular locality to prevent hardship.
We can also take into account:
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your financial resources
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any behaviour of you or your household which affects your suitability to be a tenant
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any local connection with Cherwell District.
When we have considered all the information about your housing circumstances, we put you into one of four bands.
What is a local connection?
A local connection with Cherwell gives you some priority over applicants without a local connection. You have a local connection if you have:
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lived in the District for a continuous period of at least 6 months preceding the date of the offer of accommodation or;
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permanent employment within the District or;
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previously lived in the District for a period of at least 5 years or;
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close relatives living in the District for a period of at least 5 years. Close relatives are defined as parents,children, siblings, grandparents or grandchildren (including step relatives).
What are the bands?
Once accepted as eligible by any of the four authorities to join the Housing Register, the applicant’s housing needs are assessed and they are placed in one of five bands. The bands are numbered 1 to 5. Applicants in Band 1 are assessed as having the most urgent need and those in Band 5 have little or no housing need.
The banding scheme enables us to meet our legal responsibilities and also provides a fair and easily understood way of selecting applicants to receive offers of accommodation.
Applicants are placed in the highest band for which they are eligible. However, if an applicant has adequate financial resources or is already adequately housed they are placed in Band 5.
An award of Band 1 may be time limited and subject to review.
Applicants are advised in writing when a banding decision is made
What factors do you take into account for banding?
We take into account such matters as:
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harassment
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health
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disability
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domestic abuse
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tied accommodation
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lack of facilities
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overcrowding
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homelessness
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no fixed abode
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under occupation
The full banding list can be found in our Allocation Scheme or here.
Once we have processed your application you will be told your band, your date of registration and the type of property you can apply for.
I’m on the Housing Register – what next?
Once your application has been agreed you can start to apply for properties that are advertised through Choice Based Lettings (CBL). However, if your application has been suspended you are not allowed to apply for properties.
Why would my application be suspended?
We have to carry out a number of checks on anyone who applies for housing. If you are a tenant in the private sector with a council or housing association, we will contact your landlord for a tenancy report. If it is unsatisfactory because of rent arrears or other breach of your tenancy agreement we may suspend your application.
We will also need proof:
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that you are who you say you are
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that you live where you say you live
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of any children on your application
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of pregnancy if anyone on your application is pregnant
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and other matters.
Your application will remain suspended until you have provided all the proofs we ask for.
Do I have to renew my application for housing?
Once you have been accepted onto the Housing Register we will contact you once a year so that you can renew your application. We will close your application if you fail to respond to the annual review. We will consider re-instating your application if you contact us within 12 months.
What circumstances will cause me to be removed from the housing register?
You will be removed from the Housing Register if you:
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are not eligible for housing
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request your removal in writing
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don’t renew your application at the annual review
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don’t provide information we have asked for.
What do I do if my circumstances change?
You must tell us.
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if you change your address you must complete a new application form
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otherwise we may ask you to complete a change of circumstances form or write to us about the changes.
Whilst we are re-assessing your change of circumstances your application is suspended and you cannot apply for properties.
What type and size of property can I apply for?
The table sets out the type and size of property you can apply for. It is based on your family size.
|
Type & size of property |
Household size |
| Bed-sit | Single person |
| 1 bed flat | Single person or couple |
| 2 bedroom flat | Single person couple or household with up to 2 children |
| 1 bedroom bungalow | Single person or couple |
| 2 bedroom bungalow | Single person, couple or household with up to 2 children |
| 2 bedroom maisonette | Single person, couple or household with up to 2 children |
| 3 bedroom maisonette | Household with up to 4 children |
| 2 bedroom house | Household with up to 2 children |
| 3 bedroom house | Household with up to 4 children |
| 4 bedroom house | Household with 4 or more children |
| Sheltered studio | Single person |
| Sheltered 1 bed flat | Single person or couple |
| Sheltered 2 bed flat | Single person or couple |
| Sheltered 1 bed bungalow | Single person or couple |
| Sheltered 2 bed bungalow | Single person or couple |
Why can't I apply for some kinds of properties?
Sometimes we will say you cannot apply for a certain property because it is:
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too big for you
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adapted for the disabled and you are not disabled
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in a sheltered scheme for the elderly and you are not in need of sheltered accommodation
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part of a special agreement which only allows applicants with village connections to be considered
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part of an agreement with one of our partner housing associations where special rules apply called a lettings plan.
We will also tell you if certain types of applicants such as those waiting for a transfer or those who are homeless will get preference. This helps us to make sure we meet our annual targets of properties let. Our targets are:
| Transfers | 30% |
| General needs |
35% |
| Homeless | 35% |
What about offers of accommodation?
Our aim is to make a provisional offer of accommodation to the applicant at the top of the shortlist. The rules for shortlisting are:
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those in the highest band will be looked at first
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then all those in the highest band with a local connection will be considered before those without a local connection
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if there is more than one applicant in the highest band with a local connection then the applicant who has been waiting the longest will be top of the list
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if there is no one in the highest band who has applied we will go through the same process checking the other bands.
Sometimes there are special rules for properties for the disabled or schemes for the elderly. When we advertise these properties we will make it clear in the advert that special rules apply.
What happens if I refuse an offer?
No limit is placed on the number of times applicants may refuse properties offered to them. However, if they refuse a significant number of properties we reserve the right to suspend their application.
If you are in band 1 and apply for a property which you then refuse, your application may be re-assessed, which may result in a lower banding.
Remember that if you are top of a shortlist once it does not guarantee you will be top of other shortlists in the future.
What rights do I have?
If you apply for accommodation with us you have the right to:-
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free advice and information
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ask for a summary of the Allocation Scheme
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help in making your application
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see the full Allocations Scheme
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ask for information about how we assessed your application
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ask for information, which will enable you to assess whether accommodation is likely to be made available, and if so, when
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have information about your application kept confidential.
Information about decisions
We will write to you:-
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if your application is suspended
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if we close your application because you haven’t renewed it at the annual review
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when we make your application active
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if it is decided that you are not eligible because of your immigration status
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if it is decided that you are not eligible because of unacceptable behaviour by you or a member of your household.
What can I do if I’m unhappy about a decision?
You can ask us to re-consider our decision. Your request should be in writing and explain why you want to have your application reviewed.
It’s your choice - about CBL
What is CBL?
CBL is a way of allocating housing through choice, giving you a greater say over where you live.
How will CBL help me?
The scheme puts the initiative on you to apply for properties that are advertised.
CBL will:
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give you a real choice about where you live by allowing you to apply for empty properties referred to us by our partner housing associations
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show your position on the list
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allow you to see what housing stock there is to rent, its location and how many applicants are applying for each property
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give you useful feedback on how close to being successful you have been in getting your choice of property
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provide better quality information about the properties that are advertised.
How do I join CBL?
That depends. If you are already on our Housing Register you don’t have to do anything. If you are not on our Housing Register you must apply to be included on it.
Can I apply for properties?
You can apply for accommodation if you are aged 16 or over and have been accepted on to our Housing Register. There are special rules if you are 16 or 17 and you will also need a guarantor.
Who can’t apply for properties?
You can’t apply if your application has been suspended.
Who owns the empty properties?
We have partnership arrangements with a number of housing associations. These are;
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Sanctuary Housing Association (including Banbury Homes and Charter Community Housing)
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Oxford Citizens Housing Association
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Bromford Housing Association
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Paradigm Housing Association
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Vale Housing Association.
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Cherwell Housing Trust
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Hanover Housing Association
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Jephson Housing Association
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Raglan Housing Association
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Sovereign Housing Association
How do I find out about empty properties?
We will advertise properties in a variety of different ways. These include:
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our dedicated website – www.oxfordshirehomechoice.org.uk
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our property style newsletters produced every two weeks
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single sheet property adverts.
Where can I find CBL property newsletters?
You can find them in:
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our receptions at Bodicote, Bicester, Kidlington and Banbury town centre office
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the offices of our local partner housing associations
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local libraries
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doctors’ surgeries
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any local Citizen Advice Bureau.
How do I apply for a property?
You can:
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apply to our dedicated web-site – www.oxfordshirehomechoice.org.uk
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text 07781 486985
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phone 0800 027 7889. When you make the phone call follow the automated instructions
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come into our local office where staff can help you to apply
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ask a friend or relative.
What information do I need to apply for a property?
To apply for any property you need:
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your housing register reference number
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the property references of the properties you want to apply for
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your date of birth.
How often are properties advertised?
They are advertised every two weeks. The advertising period starts on a Wednesday and finishes at midnight on Tuesday two weeks later. This may vary occasionally to allow for holiday periods such as Christmas.
Can I apply for any property?
When your application for the Housing Register is accepted you are told the type of property and the number of bedrooms you need for you and your family. You can only apply for properties matching that information. If you try to apply for a property that doesn’t, your application will be rejected.
Each advert tells you the landlord, location, size, rent and other features of the property to help you decide which properties are right for you. The advert also tells you if there are any special requirements that you must meet to be able to apply.
What happens at the end of the advertising period?
At the end of the advertising period no more applications for properties are accepted. Every applicant who has applied for a property is placed on a list. This is called a shortlist. The shortlist is sorted by:
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application date.
If you are the successful applicant we will carry out checks to ensure your circumstances have not changed. If selected we send your details to the landlord of the property. The landlord of the property is always responsible for making offers. They may also carry out checks before offering you the property. When a provisional offer is made you can view the property and decide whether to accept or refuse it.
Do I get any feedback?
We will publish on this website and via property adverts the results of applications once the advertising period has come to an end. We tell you the number of applicants that applied for the property, the band and the registration date of the successful applicant. This information will give you a better idea of how popular a particular property or area is and how long you would normally have to wait.
You can then decide whether to look for other types of property or areas where you do not have to wait as long.
Return to topWhat is a mutual exchange?
A mutual exchange is a straight swap of homes between tenants. You have a right to exchange your tenancy with another secure tenant, or with an assured tenant of a registered social landlord, or a charitable housing trust as long as both landlords agree to the move and confirm it in writing. This can be a really good way to move to a new home of the right size in the right area. If you have a tenancy with the council or live in a housing association dwelling you can advertise your property on www.homeswapper.co.uk Someone may be advertising your dream home!
There are rules about who can swap. If you find someone who wants to swap homes with you, you must get permission from your landlord.