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Rehousing

Who can apply to go on the Housing Register?

Anyone over 16 can apply to be on Sheffield City Council’s Housing Register. However, generally you will not be made an offer of a property until you are at least 18.
 
We will not offer a property to anyone under the age of 18 unless they:
 
  • Have been given priority because they have been accepted as statutorily homeless
  • Have been given priority because the Council has duties towards them under the Children Act 1989
  • They are supported by a government or voluntary agency, and the Council is satisfied with the level of support to be provided.
 
The Housing Act 1996 prevents Local Authorities from offering a property to some people because of their immigration status. Please ask for advice if you think this may apply to you.
 
Further information is available in the leaflet 'Helping you find a home'.  This can be downloaded from the leaflets section of the website or it is also available from any local area housing office or First Point.
 

How do I apply to go on the Housing Register?

You can join Sheffield City Council's Housing Register by completing an application form.
 
You can get one from:
 
 
You cannot bid on a property until you are registered. But it’s quick and easy to get started.
 
Further information is available in the leaflet 'Helping you find a home'.  This can be downloaded from the leaflet's section of the website or it is also available from any local area housing office or First Point.
 

Where can I find out which properties are available?

We advertise all available properties weekly.
 
 
The week runs from Wednesday until 4pm the following Tuesday.
 

How do I get help with registering and searching for a property?

If you need extra help registering with us, or help with searching for properties you can telephone the Sheffield Property Shop team on 0114 272 5363.
 
Alternatively, you can visit either the Sheffield Property Shop, your local Area Housing Office or any Firstpoint.
 
Our staff will be happy to help you.
 

What is a bid for a property?

You express your interest in renting a property by making a bid. You only have to bid once per property. Making a bid does not involve any money.
 
You can make bids:
 
 

How long do I have to make a bid?

New properties are advertised every Wednesday.
 
Bids can be made for them up to the following Tuesday at 4pm.
 
The day & time you place your bid during the bidding cycle, does not in any way affect who is offered the property.
 

What will happen to my bid?

Once the Tuesday 4pm deadline has passed, we sort all the bids for each property and offer it to the person with the longest waiting time or oldest priority.
 
However, we may not offer you a property if you owe a debt to the Housing service, have a history of anti-social behaviour, or have not kept your Council tenancy in a good condition. These checks can take a few days.
 
When you bid we will ask you to rank your bids in order of preference. If you have made a number of bids and are successful for more than one property we will offer you your preference. If you have not ranked your bids we will telephone you and ask which one you prefer.
 
If we cannot contact you by telephone and have no record of your preferences we will then decide which one to offer you.
 
Once you are made an offer we will not consider your bids for any other properties until you have decided whether or not to accept the property offered.
 

How will I know what has happened to the properties I bid for?

Details of all the lettings are published in the South Yorkshire Admag ‘Rented’ section and on the Sheffield Property Shop (new window) website.
 
This information lets you see how popular particular properties are and shows the length of time you may have to wait for a similar one.
 
This will help you make more realistic bids in the future.
 

How do I apply for a 'First Come First Served' property?

You can only apply for a property in person or by telephone.
 
You can contact staff at the Sheffield Property Shop on 0114 272 5363, or visit any First Point or Area Housing Office.
 
You can only make one application for a ‘First Come First Served’ property at any one time.
 

How does 'First Come First Served' work?

Properties we offer through ‘First Come First Served’ have usually been advertised on the bidding system first, but we have had no bids for them.
 
If we can’t let a property through the bidding system we will offer it on a ‘First Come First Served’ basis.
 
Most of these properties are studio and one-bedroom flats and are available to people aged over 40 and 60. The properties could be available anywhere in the city. If you are over 60 we have a choice of flats in different Sheltered schemes across Sheffield.
 
To apply for these properties you must be registered with Sheffield City Council (new window). It doesn’t matter if you haven’t been registered for long.
 
We will offer the property to the first person that meets the letting criteria, regardless of waiting time or priority.
 
You will still have to pass our checks on debts owed to the Housing Service, history of anti-social behaviour and condition of your Council tenancy.
 
If you accept one of these properties, you will keep your original registration date. This means you can continue to save your waiting time in case you wish to move again in the future.
 
If you have been awarded priority and accept a ‘First Come First Served’ property you will lose your priority but you will keep your original registration date.
 

Where can I find out what is available through 'First Come First Served'?

Properties are advertised:
 
 

How do you allocate 'First Come First Served' properties?

Your position on the list is based on the date and time you show interest in a property.
 
If you show your interest first (and meet the letting criteria?) you will be in first place for that property.
 
Our staff can advise you on your position, please call the Sheffield Property Shop team on 0114 272 5363 for more information.
 

What happens if I am offered a 'First Come First Served' property?

Provided you pass our checks, we will offer you the property. We will contact you to arrange a viewing. You can then decide whether you wish to accept it or not.
 
If the person in first place on the list refuses the property, we will offer it to the next person on the list.
 
Once someone has accepted a property and we have let it to them, we will write to the other people left on the list to let them know it is no longer available.
 
They can then consider applying for further ‘First Come First Served’ properties.
 

What happens if I am offered a 'First Come First Served' property, but I don't like it?

If you have received and offer, but do not like the property please let the Area Housing Office know straight away. They will then withdraw the offer and you can carry on looking for another property.
 
However, if you have been awarded priority for special circumstances, you may be restricted on the number of offers you can have.
If you are unsure about this, please ask your Local Area Office or whoever awarded the priority.
 

What happens when I am offered a property?

When we offer you a property, we will invite you to view it.
 
If you decide to take it we will explain the tenancy conditions to you. You will have to sign a tenancy agreement accepting these conditions. They include a requirement to pay your rent regularly, keep your home in good condition and not cause a nuisance or danger to other people.
 
Once you have signed for the tenancy we will cancel your Housing Registration. If you think you may want to move again in the future this is a good time to rejoin the Housing Register and start to build up waiting time.
 
You can refuse the property if it is not suitable. Simply tell your Area Housing Office straight away. They will withdraw the offer and you can carry on bidding for other properties.
 
However, if you have a priority, you may be restricted to where you can be housed and the number of offers you can make. If you are unsure, ask your Local Area Housing Office or whoever awarded you the priority for advice.
 

When would my Housing Registration be cancelled?

An applicant’s registration is ‘Used’ (cancelled) when:
 
  • They accept a new Council tenancy
  • They become a joint tenant
  • A new secure tenancy is granted
  • They accept a Housing Association property on nomination
  • They are assigned a tenancy
  • They purchase a property within or under a specified scheme e.g. Home for Home, Homesteading...
 
An application can also be cancelled when:
 
  • An applicant requests their application be cancelled
  • An applicant does not notify us of a change in their details such as a new address
  • An applicant does not respond to a review letter
  • An applicant leaves the country to live abroad
  • An applicant provides false & misleading information
  • The applicant is deceased
 

What happens if I need to move urgently or if I am homeless?

If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, go to First Point Howden House or telephone 0114 273 5406, 0114 273 5142.
 
If you have other circumstances (relationship breakdown / harassment issues for example) which mean you need to move urgently, contact your Local Area Housing Office.
 
If we can’t deal with the situation ourselves we will advise you where to go. Once we have assessed your circumstances, we will look at whether we can give you priority for housing ahead of other people on the Housing Register. We will then write to you explaining our decision.
 
If we give you priority, we will explain why it has been given, what sort of property it is for and how long you have to use it. The letter will also explain how to request a review of the decision if you are unhappy with it.
 
All priorities are time limited and if you have not been housed within this time we will review your case and may cancel your priority. In some cases we will make you an offer of a property that we feel meets your needs before cancelling the priority.
 
If we are unable to contact you due to changes not notified to us, your registration may be suspended or cancelled.
 

What happens if I have no permanent address?

When you have no fixed abode, you are still entitled to be registered on Sheffield City Council’s Housing Register.
 
We do, however, need a mailing address or phone number in order get in contact with you about your application / offers of accommodation.
 
If we are unable to contact you, your registration may be suspended or cancelled.
 

I’m homeless and I've been offered a property but it’s not where I want to go - what do I need to do?

If you are homeless and have been made an offer of accommodation which you think is unsuitable, you need to  speak to a member of the Lettings staff at the Area Housing Office who has made the offer of accommodation.
 
If you have the offer letter in your possession, a contact telephone number should be evident at the top of the letter.  If you do not have the letter with you we can determine which Housing Area Office to contact from the address of the property being offered.
 
The relevant Lettings Officer in the Housing Area Office will liaise with colleagues in the Homelessness Section and the Homefinder Team about the reasons why you think the property is unsuitable
 
If you wish to appeal against any decision arising from this type of activity, you should be referred to an Officer from the Homeless Section or ask Housing Aid section for advice.
 

What can I get rehousing priority for?

You will only be awarded priority for rehousing if you need to be rehoused urgently and immediately – as determined by current Policy, Procedures and Legislation.
 
If you feel that you do need to be rehoused urgently and immediately you must speak to a member of staff at your local Area Housing Office.
 

How will I know if I have been awarded priority?

Once you have been assessed, we will write to you and explain whether you have been given priority.
 
If you are given priority the letter will explain what sort of properties you can bid for with the priority and when the priority will be reviewed. It will also tell you where to go to get help with making bids if you need assistance.
 

How does a priority affect waiting time?

For most of the properties advertised we will consider people with priority first.
 
In order to make our system fairer, a proportion of properties on our higher demand estates will be let on the basis of waiting time, not priority.
 
This will be clearly shown in the property adverts.
 

My circumstances have changed - what do I need to do?

If your circumstances change you will need to complete a ‘Change of Circumstances’ form and return it to the Sheffield Property Shop (new window), any First Point or one of the Area Housing Offices throughout the City.
 
Please make sure that all of the form is completed, as this can then be cross-referenced against details already held on record to ensure our details are accurate.
 
It is essential that you inform us immediately of any changes (members of your household, contact address / telephone number etc) as this could affect your status on the list, any priority you may have and/or the type of property you are eligible for.
 

What happens if there are outstanding repairs on the house I have been offered?

Generally, if repairs are left outstanding at the start of a tenancy, these would be minor ones not seriously affecting the use of the property and would  require a small amount of work to rectify the given problems.
 
To have completed these within the prior repairs programme/work schedule would have unnecessarily held up the letting, leaving a property standing ‘idle’ whilst there were people needing re-housing.
 
The ‘on-tenancy’ repairs can be completed once you have moved in and will cause very little in the way of disruption, mess or upheaval.
 

When do I get my decoration allowance?

Decoration allowances are paid into customers' rent accounts.
 
Cheques will not be issued until the account is audited to verify any changes relating to letting dates, housing benefit and weekly payments are checked.
 
To find out the stage of your application please contact your local Area Housing Office.
 

How do I find out who the gas and electricity supplier is?

All tenants are issued with this information in their sign-up pack when taking on a tenancy, however the contact telephone number for N-Pas who can provide you the correct gas/electricity suppliers to a property is: 0845 330 0889
 

What is Extra Care Housing?

Extra Care housing is for older people and brings independence in the form of high quality, self-contained flats and bungalows.  It is not residential care or nursing care.   There is no single model for Extra Care.  Although all are based on the same principles, schemes differ in size, location and facilities.  A 40-bed unit may be on a 1.5-acre site and a retirement village with 200-350 units over 7 acres site.  The aim is to provide a range of affordable housing options with homes to rent, buy or part buy.
 
The main features are:
 
  • Self contained 1 & 2 bed flats and bungalows, each with their own front door. 
  • High standards of design and specification with wheelchair accessibility throughout, suitable for active people or those with severe mobility problems
  • High levels of security and safety features with emergency call systems. 
  • 24 hour cover, care is available with staff based on site
  • Flexible care package tailored to individual needs
  • A wide range of communal facilities and activities
  • Meal provision with a restaurant on site
 
Each scheme has its own characteristics, but a ‘core’ specification to provide 24 hour on-site care and support, and incorporating extra facilities such as:
 
  • Restaurant/lounge
  • Health and fitness centre
  • Spa/Jacuzzi pool
  • Craft and hobby area
  • Library
  • Hairdresser
  • Computer area
  • Communal gardens
 
The emphasis of extra care is to actively promote independent living.  Support and care staff are on site and work alongside residents to improve and maintain their health and well being.  Extra Care provides services based on an assessment of individuals’ needs.  Should individuals’ care needs increase, care and support staff are already on site and can adjust to meet additional requirements. 
 
To achieve and maintain a ‘balanced community’ allocations and lettings are targeted at people with a variety of needs, some requiring high levels of care and some who live independently but want additional security and support.
 
The core unit provides a focus for a variety of services for older people locally who can benefit from the activities and facilities in the scheme.  The links between the scheme and the community can make a significant contribution to the regeneration of the area. 
 

Generated: 23/10/2007   |   Modified: 21/05/2008 by Chris Brownley
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