Home Options Newport

All bids received will be put in priority order to produce a list of eligible applicants for each property advertised. The landlord of the property will carry out any outstanding eligibility checks required such as rent checks, household circumstance checks and affordability checks where relevant.

If your name is at the top of the short list you will normally be contacted by the landlord concerned and then invited to view the property unless there are reasons why your application cannot be considered. The landlord concerned may visit you in your home to carry out these checks. If we are unable to offer the property to the applicant at the top of the list we will move to the next applicant and so on.

If you decide to refuse the property it will be offered to the next person on the list. If you refuse two property offers, you will be removed from the Home Options Newport scheme and will have to re-apply again. If you are offered a property you will not be short listed for other properties until you have decided to either accept or refuse the offer.

If you accept the property you will be advised when you can move in by the landlord concerned.

Circumstances that will result in an offer not being made

In certain circumstances, landlords may withdraw possible offers of accommodation. The reasons are listed below but the list is not exhaustive:

• If an applicant has become ineligible to be registered since joining the Home Options scheme;
• On verification of the application details, the priority band was found to have been incorrectly awarded;
• The applicants current circumstances are such that suspension of application is appropriate whilst investigations are undertaken into the application, or that the applicant should be restricted from bidding in the neighbourhood in which the property is located;
• The applicants circumstances have changed since the priority band was awarded and the member is no longer entitled to the same level of priority;
• The applicants circumstances do not satisfy the advertised lettings criteria for the property;
• The applicants circumstances do not meet the local lettings policy in operation outlined on the advert;
• The applicant has been qualified for an offer of more than one property and has been deemed more suitable for the other property;
• The accommodation has been assessed as being not affordable to the applicant concerned;
• The accommodation has been assessed as being unsuitable for the applicant concerned;
• The applicant could not be contacted by the landlord of the property.

Successful bids

If you are successful in your bid and are shortlisted for a property the landlord concerned will contact you as soon as possible after the bidding cycle ends. If you are not contacted you within 28 days of the bidding cycle ending, please assume that you have not been successful in this instance and continue bidding in further advertising cycles.

You will not be able to bid for other properties until you have decided to either accept or refuse the offer if one is made to you. Once an offer of a property has been accepted, your application will be cancelled and should you wish to move again in the future, you will need to re-apply and your circumstances re-assessed.

Refusal of an offer by households with additional priority

If you have been awarded additional priority in order to obtain a move then your priority will be removed if you refuse an offer of suitable accommodation. Your application will then be re-assessed and placed into another band based on your current housing circumstances without taking account of your urgent needs. A property will usually be considered to be a reasonable offer if:

• It is of sufficient size to accommodate the members household;
• The physical access to the property and the internal layout and facilities are appropriate;
• The property is affordable for you.

Should you disagree with the decision made to remove any additional priority then you are able to request a review of the decision. Details of the review process can be found within the Home Options Policy document.