Choice Based Lettings
Choice-Based Lettings (CBL) is a system used by local councils and housing associations to allocate social housing. Instead of being assigned a property, eligible applicants can view available homes and "bid" on those that meet their needs. Properties are advertised online or through local portals, and bids are assessed based on priority and housing need.
Applying for Council Housing
You can apply for council housing through your local authority. Each council has its own rules, and most require joining a housing register. Eligibility usually starts at age 18 (some councils allow applications from age 16).
How Housing Is Allocated
Councils use a points or banding system based on housing need and each Council manages this differently in accordance with their Allocations Policy. Priority is given to customers in the highest need for re-housing.
Choice-Based Lettings
Some councils use a choice-based lettings system, allowing you to bid on available properties. Once accepted onto the housing register, you can:
- Search for homes via council websites, offices, or local libraries
- Check eligibility for each property
- Bid online, by phone, or text
- Wait for the council’s decision
What happens next?
If your bid is successful, the Lettings Team will contact you. The response time may vary depending on the number of properties we’re managing.
When placing a bid, please ensure the property is in an area you’d genuinely like to live. Review the advert carefully for specific requirements such as adaptations, parking, or floor level. While property visits are discouraged, we recommend familiarising yourself with the local area.
In some cases, you may not be considered for a property. If this happens, we’ll explain why. For more details on the checks carried out during verification and reasons for withdrawal, please refer to the Lettings Policy.
Renting a home FAQs
If you are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, please contact the local council in the area where you currently live, or where you would like to live, as soon as possible. They are responsible for providing advice, support, and assistance in these situations.
Platform Housing Group cannot offer you emergency accommodation. If you need urgent housing support, you must contact your local council directly.
We may have properties immediately available across a range of locations. Please visit our Platform Places page to view current availability and follow our social media channels for the latest updates.
We work closely with local councils through the Choice Based Lettings (CBL) scheme. Once you have an active housing application, you will be able to bid on any advertised properties through this system.
We aim to ensure that our homes are allocated to households whose needs are most suitable for the property and the local community.
In some circumstances, we may need to restrict who can apply for certain homes. These restrictions help us manage our housing responsibly and create sustainable communities.
Examples include (this list is not exhaustive):
- We will accept applications from those over the age of 16 years but will not normally offer a tenancy until they reach the age of 18 years, except in exceptional circumstances. In these circumstances a Trustee can be appointed and who should be a responsible adult over 18 years of age, who is known to the applicant or a person from an agency, such as Children’s Services
- Local Lettings Plans (LLPs) These are used to help create balanced, stable communities where people want to live and remain long term. Specific criteria regarding eligibility will apply.
- Section 106 (S106) Developments These homes are subject to legal agreements between the Local Council and developers, which can place specific conditions on who is eligible to apply.
- Age Restricted Housing Some homes are intended for specific age groups. For example:
- Retirement living accommodation will be restricted to customers aged 60+, or 55+ where the applicant is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) or Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
- Retirement village accommodation will be restricted to customers aged 60+, or 55+ where there are identified care or support needs.
Any eligibility requirements will always be made clear during the marketing and application process.
Once the advertising period has ended, a shortlist will be created. This list is ordered based on:
- Housing band/priority, and
- How long applicants have been waiting within that band.
If you are eligible and are being considered for the property, you will be contacted to discuss the next steps. This contact may come from:
- The local councils housing team, or
- Platform Housing Group’s lettings team
If you are not shortlisted, you will not be contacted, and you may wish to continue bidding on other suitable properties.
Important Advice When Bidding
We strongly encourage you to only bid on homes that:
- Are in an area you are happy to live in
- Are suitable for your household’s needs
Please make sure you read the property advert carefully, paying attention to:
- Number of bedrooms
- Heating type
- Parking availability
- Floor level (e.g. ground floor, upper floor)
- Any other specific eligibility criteria
While we ask that you do not visit the property, we do recommend that you familiarise yourself with the local area before bidding.
All expressions of interest are reviewed in date order, based on when they are received.
If you are eligible and can be considered for the property, you will be contacted to discuss the next steps:
- For general needs properties, this will be by Platform Housing Group’s Lettings Team. If you are not contacted, this means you have not been shortlisted on this occasion. You may wish to continue expressing an interest in other suitable properties as they become available.
- For Specialist Housing properties which includes Retirement Living and Retirement Village accommodation, you will be contacted by the Housing Officer who manages that property.
Important Advice Before Expressing an Interest
We strongly encourage you to only express an interest in homes that:
- Are located in an area you are happy to live in
- Are suitable for your household’s needs
Please ensure you read the property advert carefully, paying close attention to:
- Number of bedrooms
- Heating type
- Parking availability
- Floor level (e.g. ground floor or upper floor)
- Any other specific eligibility criteria
While we ask that you do not visit the property, we recommend that you familiarise yourself with the surrounding area before expressing interest.
If your expression of interest or bid is successful, you will be contacted by a Lettings Officer. They will first confirm that you:
- Are still interested in the property, and
- Are able to proceed with the letting
If you confirm this, you will be matched to the property, subject to the completion of checks and verification.
If you decide not to proceed, you will need to contact the local council to discuss your reasons. They will be able to confirm whether withdrawing would have any impact on your application.
Key Contacts Involved in the Lettings Process
Lettings Officer Your Lettings Officer will manage your application and act as your main point of contact throughout the assessment stage.
Empty Property Team Once you have been formally offered the property, the Empty Property Team will take over. They will keep in contact with you and when the property is ready, arrange your viewing and key collection.
Neighbourhood Officer Your Neighbourhood Officer will carry out your move‑in appointment and will remain involved throughout your tenancy, providing ongoing support and tenancy management.
What Happens Next?
Housing Application
You will be asked to complete a housing application form. Support is available if you need help completing the form.
It is important that you:
- Answer all questions fully and honestly
- Provide your full 5 year address history-year address history
An Experian address history check will be completed for all new customers, in line with our Tenancy Fraud Policy.
Documents and Information We May Request
To progress your application, we may ask for some or all of the following:
Proof of Identity and Right to Rent
- Current UK/EU/EEA passport
- Photo driving licence or provisional licence
- Birth certificate
- Right to Rent documentation
Household and Income Information
- Proof of Child Benefit (if applicable)
- Proof of pregnancy (if applicable)
- Recent payslips (dated within the last 3 months)
- Bank statements (dated within the last 3 months)
- Benefit entitlement letters
- Universal Credit statements (within the last 3 months)
Address and Supporting Evidence
- Proof of address (dated within the last 3 months)
- Supporting information (for example, medical evidence)
References
- Details of your current landlord (for a tenancy reference)
- Contact details for any professionals supporting your application
Why We Ask for Financial Information
Financial details are used to complete an affordability assessment, helping us ensure that the property is affordable and sustainable for you.
If you are unable to provide any of the documents listed, please speak to your Lettings Officer, who will discuss this with you and advise on alternatives where possible.
Pets Policy
- In most homes, permission is not required to keep a pet.
- In low rise flats, residents may keep one cat or one dog only.
- Pets are not permitted in high rise flats, except for registered assistance dogs.
- For Retirement Living and Village accommodation, pet permission may be required and will be discussed during the application process with the Retirement Housing Officer.
What is included with the property?
As standard, our homes are let unfurnished and do not include white goods, curtains, or carpets. We will provide vinyl flooring to wet areas such as the kitchen and bathrooms.
You will need to supply your own furniture, cooker, white goods, and flooring for the rest of the property.
In the rare instances where additional items are provided, your Lettings Officer will inform you before you move in.
When should I submit my notice to my current landlord?
Giving notice formally starts the end of your current tenancy and cannot usually be reversed.
Please check your tenancy agreement carefully to confirm your required notice period. This is typically at least one month if you pay rent monthly, or four weeks if you pay rent weekly.
Be aware that if you are in a fixed‑term tenancy (for example, a 12‑month Assured Shorthold Tenancy), you may be legally responsible for the rent until the end of the fixed term unless there is a break clause in your agreement or you reach an alternative arrangement with your landlord.
For this reason, it’s important to fully understand the terms that apply to your current tenancy before submitting your notice.
Important Information
The process can take some time, so we kindly ask for your patience. Each Lettings Officer manages a caseload of properties and must carry out thorough checks to ensure everything is handled correctly.
If you are asked to provide information, please make sure this is submitted by the deadline given to avoid any delays.
There may be occasions where you are not offered the property, even after being successful initially. If this happens:
- You will be informed of the reason why and the appeal process will be explained
- The property will not be held for you during the appeal process
- All decisions are made in line with our Lettings Policy, which is available on our website
We do not charge any application fees or require a deposit. However, you will be asked to pay one month’s rent in advance. This will be discussed with you during your affordability assessment.
Paying Your Rent
- Rent is charged on the 1st of each month
- We request all residents to pay their rent by Direct Debit
- Over time, we also expect a rent credit of at least one month’s rent to be built up on your account, regardless of income
This helps protect your account and reduce the risk of arrears in the future.
Flexible Support to Match Your Income
If your payday or benefit payment date does not fall on the 1st of the month, we can help:
- Your Income Officer will set up the Direct Debit on a date that suits your income
- Payments can be made at a frequency that works for you (for example weekly, fortnightly, or monthly)
- We will work with you to gradually build up a credit on your rent account
Our aim is to support you to manage your rent effectively and ensure your account remains free from arrears.
When you are contacted by a Lettings Officer to confirm your interest in the property, they will explain the current stage of that property. There are four possible stages:
Property Stages
- Immediately available All repairs have been completed and the property is ready to be occupied.
- Repairs in progress with an estimated completion date Repairs are underway and an estimated completion date will be provided. Please note that this date may change at short notice if unexpected issues arise.
- Repairs in progress with no estimated completion date Repairs are ongoing, but no completion date has been set yet. We will provide an estimated date as soon as possible.
- The property is a new build home with an estimated handover date. Please note that this date may change at short notice if unexpected issues arise.
In rare circumstances, a property may be withdrawn. If this happens, we will try to identify a suitable alternative for you where one is available.
Updates While You Are Waiting
If the property is undergoing repairs and we don’t yet know when the work will be finished, you will receive a weekly automated message to confirm that the property remains reserved for you. If you decide you no longer want the property, please reply to the message to let us know. Our Empty Property team will contact you as soon as we receive an estimated repair completion date.
For new‑build homes, you will be given an estimated handover date. You will receive separate updates if anything changes.
It is important that you inform us promptly of any changes to your circumstances during this time.
While repairs are being completed or before the handover date:
- Do not visit the property for health and safety reasons
- Our operatives / developers are not permitted to allow viewings at this stage
Tenancy Agreement and Paperwork
While repairs are ongoing or in preparation of the handover date, you will be sent your tenancy agreement by email to review.
You will be asked to:
- Confirm that you agree to the terms and conditions
- Sign the agreement electronically within 48 hours of receipt
This is an automated and straightforward process.
Important: We request that you sign the agreement before viewing the property. However, it will not become legally binding until you have viewed the property in person and confirmed that you still wish to accept it.
If you do have access to an email address, a paper copy of the tenancy agreement will be made available to you.
Viewing the Property and Receiving Your Keys
Once repairs have been completed or in preparation of the handover date
- The Empty Property Team will contact you to:
- Arrange your viewing appointment
- Complete the letting process
- Provide you with the keys
You will also receive, by email where available:
- Energy Performance Certificate (EPC)
- Gas Safety Certificate
- Electrical Safety Certificate
- A decoration voucher (if you have been awarded one)
Can I bring friends or family with me to the appointment?
We understand that seeing your new home for the first time is an exciting moment and one you may wish to share with friends or family.
As the sign‑up appointment is an important part of the process and may involve discussing personal information, we ask that you attend alone or only with members of your household, plus one additional person as a maximum.
This helps ensure we can clearly explain all essential information and move everyone into their new homes on time.
If you feel you need additional support or would like more people to attend, please arrange this with us in advance of your sign‑up appointment.
Gas, Electricity, and Heating
If the property has gas central heating and is not a new home,
- A Gas Safe engineer will attend the property to test the boiler
- They will also show you how to use the heating and hot water system
- This visit will be booked at the same time as your viewing appointment
Your gas and electricity will be supplied by British Gas, unless we inform you of a different provider. You must:
- Contact them as soon as possible with your meter readings
- Ensure there is credit on both pre-payment meters before the engineer attends
After You Receive the Keys
Once you receive the keys:
- Your tenancy agreement will be signed by a Platform Housing Group representative
- A copy of the fully signed agreement will be returned to you by email or in person
- At this point, the tenancy agreement becomes legally binding
