A guide to applying for an affordable rented home in Lincolnshire through

A guide to applying for an affordable rented home in Lincolnshire through

Contents Welcome to Homes Direct What is Homes Direct? What areas does it cover? How does it work? Is help available? Who can register? How is priority decided? What happens if my circumstances change? What else can I do on Homes Direct? How to apply Step 1 Create your account Step 2 Complete your application Keeping your application up to date Step 3 Bid for a property Searching for properties Making a bid Step 4 Find out if you have been successful Getting an offer of a home Continuing to look for a home Other housing options 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 5 6 6 6 8 12 12 12 13 13 13 14 14 2

Welcome to Homes Direct What is Homes Direct? Homes Direct is an established online choice-based lettings (CBL) scheme covering most of the Midlands and Lincolnshire. It is used by Waterloo Housing Group, in partnership with East Lindsey District Council, to help you find affordable rented housing. Homes Direct includes all the homes available to rent from Waterloo and from other similar landlords with homes in Lincolnshire. What areas does it cover? Most of the affordable rented homes in East Lindsey are owned and managed by Waterloo.We also have some homes to let in other parts of Lincolnshire, which will be listed on Homes Direct. However, if you are looking outside East Lindsey, it is usually best if you apply to the local council for these areas as well.you can find out which CBL schemes cover your area using the map-based search on our website at www.waterloo.org.uk/ lincscbl How does it work? With choice-based lettings you apply for an available home when it is advertised, giving you a greater choice and say in where you live. When you register, you will be given a banding based on your housing need.available homes are advertised weekly, from midnight Tuesday to midnight Sunday. You then make a bid sometimes called an expression of interest for any suitable home you are interested in.the system will tell you which homes you are eligible to bid for and how many people are above you in the list, so you will know whether you have a good chance of getting that home. Is help available? You can find more information on the Homes Direct website. Please get in touch with the Homes Direct team if you have any questions or would like any further information about the scheme and how it works. We recognise that some people may need additional help to access the scheme and apply for a home. 3

Please contact Waterloo on 0800 435 016 or email homesdirect@ waterloo.org.uk if you think this applies to you.alternatively you can book an appointment at one of our housing surgeries - please see our website www.waterloo.org.uk/ homesdirect for details. Who can register? You can register with the scheme for housing if you are 18 years or over. In certain situations you can apply if you are 16 or 17 years old. For details please see the East Lindsey District Council policy, available on our website or by asking us for a copy. To be eligible to bid for properties in Lincolnshire, you will need a local connection to one of the following areas: East Lindsey,West Lindsey, South or North Kesteven, South Holland, Boston or Lincoln City. Your choice of homes may be restricted if you have committed serious anti-social behaviour that makes you an unsuitable tenant. If you apply and do not qualify, the system will give you a Band X and exclude you from bidding on any properties.you have the right to ask us to explain or review the decision to exclude you. Please put your request in writing to Waterloo Housing Group. If you are faced with homelessness (that is, if you have been served a notice by your landlord or have been asked to leave the place where you are staying), you should contact the housing options team at East Lindsey District Council on 01507 601111.They will arrange for you to see a housing options advisor and, where appropriate, take you through a homelessness application. You can still register an application on Homes Direct but you will only be given a homeless banding if the council tell us that you should have a homeless priority. How is priority decided? The scheme aims to provide homes for those in greatest housing need. When you register, Homes Direct will assess your housing need, taking into account factors such as your personal situation and where you are currently living. Depending on the information you give, it will automatically place you into one of the following housing need bands: Band 1 very high housing need Band 2 medium housing need Band 3 low housing need 4

There is also a Band 1+ (homeless), which is not an automatic banding. It is given based on a homeless assessment by East Lindsey District Council confirming that you should have a homeless priority. The four bands are explained in detail in the East Lindsey District Council policy, available on our website or by asking us for a copy. You may also see Band X, which means that you are excluded from bidding for properties in this area. In some circumstances, such as when you tell us about a medical need or that you are going to be made homeless, Homes Direct will place you in a band that may be lower than you are entitled to.this is because we may need further information from you to support a higher banding. If this is the case, we will contact you within a couple of days of you registering to discuss your details. This ensures that your banding is fair and takes account of your specific need, giving you the best possible chance of being offered a property. If you disagree with the band you are placed in, you can ask us to look at the assessment. Please put your request in writing to Waterloo Housing Group. Your chance of successfully bidding on a home depends on several factors: your banding the start date of your current banding (known as your band effective date) your desired location the number of other bids for a particular property If you are not eligible to apply for housing in the East Lindsey area, you may still be given a banding to bid on homes in some of the other areas in which Homes Direct operates. What happens if my circumstances change? Your housing need band can change if your circumstances change, so it is very important that you update your details online. Changes in your situation could mean that you are placed in a higher band. Keeping your application up to date will make sure that you can bid on all the properties you are eligible for. Your housing need band could be lowered, or you may be excluded from bidding, if your circumstances improve considerably or you have deliberately made your circumstances worse.we will 5

check your eligibility before offering you a home so you must keep your details accurate. The system will automatically let you know if any changes are made to your housing need band and tell you the reasons why. What else can I do on Homes Direct? As well as applying for rented housing, you can find homes for sale and shared ownership on Homes Direct. If you are a council or housing association tenant, you can also look for mutual exchange properties through the National Home Swap scheme. Homes Direct provides a Housing Options assessment, which will tell you the different types of housing that might be best for you. It can also help you search for a job if you are looking for one. How to apply Step 1 Create your account Before you start, make sure you have the following information available for everyone that will be included in your housing application. You will need this to complete your registration. National Insurance (NI) or Personal ID number (If you do not have an NI card, you can find this on any recent payslips or benefits letters from the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) Address history for the last 5 years, including dates, landlord and tenancy type Details of any income, including employment, benefits or savings Details of any rent arrears or court judgments Details of any criminal offences Eligibility information for anyone moving from abroad Go to www.homesdirect.org.uk and click on the Login/My Account section. Follow the link in the highlighted sentence at the top of the screen that says: If you are not currently registered with Homes Direct apply now by clicking here. 6 During the registration process, you will be asked to set a memorable

date. Once you have completed the first section, you will be given a unique reference number. Note these down and keep them safe as you will need them to log back into your account next time. Here are some hints and tips to help you complete your registration. New household registration 1. Section A Main applicant This page asks for information about you, including personal, eligibility and contact details.you need to complete this page and click to move onto the next section within 30 minutes, otherwise your details will not be saved and you will have to start again. Linx Homechoice Reference Number Please ignore this field as it is only relevant for people previously registered with Linx Homechoice. Current local authority If you are currently living in any area of Lincolnshire, select Lincolnshire LA as your local authority Current landlord If you are currently living in private rented accommodation, your own home or with family, select Other from the drop down list Login details Choose a memorable date that will be easy for you to remember. This cannot be your date of birth. 7

Contact address If your contact address is the same as your current address you can just check the yes box to fill in the details automatically. However you still need to complete the last box to describe whether your contact address is family, friends etc. 2. New registration Joint applicant At the top of this section, you will be given your reference number. Make a note of it. If you need to stop at any stage, you will be able to log back in and complete your registration using this number and your memorable date. This page asks for the same personal, eligibility and contact information for any joint applicant. You only need to complete this section if you are applying for a joint tenancy. At the bottom of this page, click on Create login to complete your registration. Step 2 Complete your application Now you have completed your registration, you can select the type of application you want. Click on the link to apply for Rented Housing.Then click on the link to create a new Rented Housing application. There are 16 sections or stages to the application. It is important to check and answer all the questions on each page and then click on Next Section.When you have completed all the pages, click on the Submit button. If you do not do this, you may lose any changes made to your application.also, if you do not answer all of the questions your band might be lower than it could be. All questions marked with a * must be completed, otherwise you will not be able to submit the page. If a page is rejected, you will be told the reason why in a red box at the top of your screen.you must correct or complete your entries before you can continue. 8

1. Section A - Main applicant This is the page you previously completed with your personal, eligibility and contact details. Unless you need to make any changes, you can click to move onto the next section. If you did not provide your National Insurance or Personal ID number during the registration stage, you will have to do so now. 2. Section A Joint applicant This is the page you previously completed if you are applying for a joint tenancy. Unless you need to make any changes, or add a joint applicant s National Insurance or ID number, you can move onto the next section. 3. Section A Household members This page asks for the same personal, eligibility and contact information for any other members of your household. This includes any family and friends who would live with you at the accommodation you are applying for. These applicants would not be included on your tenancy agreement. 4. Section A Past addresses This page asks for your address details over the past 5 years.you also need to enter address details for any joint applicant or other members of your household. Enter all dates in the format dd/mm/yyyy, so 1 January 1980 would be 01/01/1980. For each address, you need to check a box to show who lives or lived at that address. Check Apply same to all if all household members lived there, or just check the boxes besides the individual s name. 5. Section C Income details This page asks for details of any income from employment or benefits you, and any joint applicant, receive.you will also need to provide details of any savings you may have. 6. Section D Where you live now This page asks for information about where you, and any joint applicant, are currently living, including type of tenure, type of property and facilities. If you tell us that you currently live in temporary accommodation or that your local authority has advised you that your home is not fit to 9

live in due to disrepair or lack of amenities, we will contact you for further details to make sure you are placed in the correct band. 7. Section E Your housing circumstances This page asks for information about why you are looking for a home and any medical or social factors that might affect your application. If you tell us about one of the following factors, we will contact you for further details to make sure you are placed in the correct band. You are homeless now or are due to be homeless. You are suffering from harassment. You or a family member has a medical need or a disability. You currently live in, or require, a property with adaptations. You are currently in the armed forces and are leaving soon. You are moving in order to provide or receive support from family members You have a job, or an offer of a job, that you need to live near to. You need to live near to your place of study. 10 8. Section F Care and support needs This page asks for information about any special requirements you, or any member of your household, may have for care or support. 9. Section G Your preferred areas This page asks you to select the areas where you would like to live. This shows all the areas covered by Homes Direct.While you can choose any of the areas shown at this stage, you may not be eligible to bid for properties there.this will depend upon the local authority s housing policy. 10. Section H Area connections This page asks you to select the areas to which you have a local connection. It is important that you complete this section if you are looking for local housing. For a list of local connections accepted for East Lindsey, please see the East Lindsey District Council policy which is available on our website or by asking us for a copy. If you do not show that you have a local connection to an area of East Lindsey you will be placed in Band X for East Lindsey, which means

you will be excluded from bidding for homes here. You will be shown the same, full list of areas covered by Homes Direct. This time only tick any of the areas where you have one of the accepted local connections.you will be asked for details about each of your connections in the next stage. 11. Section H Area connections part 2 This page asks for details of your local connection to the areas you previously selected. For each area, you must choose the connection from the drop down list, add details in the large text box and enter a from date in the first small text box before you can continue to the next stage. You should also enter a to date in the second small text box if that connection has ended. All dates must be entered in the format dd/mm/yyyy. 12. Section I Ownership schemes and renting from a private landlord This page gives you the opportunity to express an interest in homes for sale, shared ownership or private rent.this will affect the type of homes you are shown by the system. 13. Section J Access to internet This section asks for information about how you access the internet and what you use it for. 14. Section K Other information This page asks for contact details for your next of kin, a guarantor (if you are under 18 years of age), and for information on any connections you may have to housing associations. 15.Application declaration This page asks you to confirm that the information you have given in your application is correct. It also checks that you understand the implications of submitting this information and how it will be used. You need to ensure that the Yes box is checked against each statement before you press Submit application or the form will not be saved. 16.Application submitted This final page confirms that your application is complete and submitted. If you have provided an email address, you will be emailed a copy of your application. If you do not have an email address and want a 11

copy, make sure you download it before leaving this page. Once your application has been confirmed, you can click on the link to see your band, band effective date and eligibility information.you will also be given the options to search for properties or to see any properties you are eligible to bid for. As there are other local authorities and housing associations using Homes Direct, you may be given a banding for several areas. If you are only interested in homes in East Lindsey then you only need to search for available properties in this area. If you think your banding is incorrect, please contact us. Keeping your application up to date You can return and update your application at any time by logging in and selecting the My Rented Housing link from the left menu. Even if you only want to update one section, it is important that you go through each section and then press Submit application, otherwise your changes will not be saved. Step 3 Bid for a property We will advertise all our available properties in East Lindsey on Homes Direct each week. Properties are advertised on a weekly cycle, starting at midnight Tuesday and closing at midnight on the following Sunday. Searching for properties When you log in to Login/My Account, you will automatically have the option to view a list of properties you are eligible to bid for. However, these may be in any area, not just in Lincolnshire or the particular areas you expressed an interest in. The best way to find properties is to select Property Search from the top menu bar and then click on the East Lindsey Properties for Rent button.you can then scroll through the lists to see which properties you are eligible to bid for. The following are examples of requirements which may affect whether or not you are eligible to bid for a particular property: The number of bedrooms or bed spaces, and the size of household the property is suitable for 12

Whether the property is on the ground floor, or adapted for the needs of an older or disabled person If applicants are required to have a local connection to the area This is so we can make best use of the properties we have, by matching homes to the most suitable applicant. Each advert will show you full information about the property, including how many other people are above you in the list.this may be because of their banding or their banding effective date. Making a bid Once you have registered, you can start bidding on properties immediately.to bid, just click on the Apply now button on the property you are interested in. You can bid for up to three properties in each weekly cycle. Please note that the deadline for bids is midnight on Sunday. Step 4 Find out if you have been successful Getting an offer of a home At the close of the advert cycle, the system will tell you whether you have been shortlisted for a property. If you are shortlisted we will contact you, usually within five working days of the closing date, to conduct a telephone interview and confirm your eligibility for the property. If it is not possible to contact you, we will move onto the next suitable applicant. If everything is satisfactory with your application, we will offer you the property and arrange for you to view it. After accepting an offer you will sign a tenancy agreement and receive the keys to your new home. You may decide not to accept the home after viewing it. For most people, this will not cause any problems. However, if your local council has a legal duty to house you, you may be penalised for turning down an offer of a home. We will tell you in advance if this applies to you. 13

We won t usually offer a property to you if you have an unsatisfactory written reference from a current or previous landlord.we look at each case individually and will tell you what is required for us to look again at making you an offer. Continuing to look for a home The Homes Direct system will always show you where you are on the list for any property you are eligible for, so you will be able to see which properties you have the best chance of getting. Other housing options We try to help as many people as possible. But unfortunately, there are more people interested in renting one of our homes than we have homes to offer. We want you to have the best possible chance of getting a home that is right for you. So please consider other options available to you, such as: Low cost home ownership by part-buying and part-renting through shared ownership. Visit the Waterloo Homes website www.waterloohomes.org.uk for more details or call 0345 450 3995. Swapping your home through mutual exchange with another housing association or council tenant. Register for mutual exchange on Homes Direct. Renting in the private sector There is a Housing Options wizard tool on the Homes Direct website to help you assess what may be suitable for you based on your circumstances. 14

Or for more advice, please contact your local council s Housing Advice team or visit one of our housing surgeries.you can find full details on our Waterloo Housing Group website. Notes As a reminder, you can use this space to write down your unique reference number and memorable date for your Homes Direct login. But do then keep this guide stored in a safe and secure place. 15

www.homesdirect.org.uk Waterloo Housing Group 1700 Solihull Parkway Birmingham Business Park, Solihull B37 7YD Tel: 0800 435 016 Website: www.waterloo.org.uk Current edition for new applicants July 2015