Who will my tenancy be with if I transfer using HomeChoice? Will I keep all my existing tenancy rights?
You will be advised of your new rights by your new landlord before you are asked to accept a property and sign your new tenancy. Residents moving from a council owned home to a housing association owned home may lose the Right to Buy their property. You should check with the new landlord about any particular tenancy rights you are concerned with.
If I've got an Anti-Social Behaviour Order or criminal conviction that's spent, how will I be treated?
The policy regarding anti social behaviour remains unchanged, i.e.: "In the interests of encouraging sustainable communities, applicants may be excluded from the statutory register, if there is evidence of displayed behaviour, which may affect the management of the tenancy and/or impact on the community e.g. applicants who have behaved in an anti-social manner including some forms of criminal activity such as drug dealing; applicants in arrears of current rent or who have a former tenant debt; applicants or members of their household who have used threatening language or behaviour towards any officer of the Council or its housing partners." Each case will be considered on its own merits following a thorough investigation into the evidence available on a multi-disciplinary basis e.g. Police and Social Services, to support the decision. Applicants will have a right of appeal against such a decision. Regarding a spent criminal conviction, under the Equal Opportunities Act, if the conviction is spent it means there is no longer a criminal conviction registered against your name, therefore it is illegal to disadvantage or discriminate against you in any way. You would be treated equally with any other applicant.
How are you going to keep my personal information confidential with so many landlords possibly looking at it?
When you apply for housing you are asked to sign a declaration giving consent for the Council to share your information with partner housing associations, we will share the information which is relevant to your housing with them.
I'm homeless and in temporary accommodation? Can I participate in Medway HomeChoice?
Yes. If you've been accepted by Medway Council as unintentionally homeless and in priority need, then you should apply for membership of the Medway HomeChoice. You will be expected to bid for homes in the usual way and if you are successful you will become a permanent tenant. However, if you make no bids within six months of becoming eligible for HomeChoice you may be offered the next suitable available tenancy and you will lose the option of choice. Some landlords may consider converting accommodation offered on a temporary basis into permanent housing after a qualifying period, e.g. 1 year.
Can I do a mutual exchange using Medway HomeChoice?
We are working on showing our Mutual Exchange Register on our website, current it is located at the reception desk in the Municipal Buildings, Canterbury Street, Gillingham. Applicants can complete a form, which provides details of their requirements. This form is then placed in the Mutual Exchange Register. Applicants can then browse through the Register to see whether there are any properties which they may be interested in. Both parties to the Mutual Exchange must meet council policy.
I don't want to change landlord, can I only apply for my current landlord's properties?
All advertisements will state who the landlord of the property is, however, restricting your choice to one landlord may reduce your opportunity to find a suitable move.
I need help with my HomeChoice application. Is there someone who can help me?
A housing information officer will be able to assist you either with questions over the telephone, by email or in person at our main offices at Municipal Buildings, Canterbury Street, Gillingham.
What happens if I don't make any bids?
Unless you have a special need you are will not be considered for a home. It will be up to you to actively try to find a home. The Council or housing association will no longer come to you with offers of homes unless you make a bid.
My bids keep being unsuccessful. Is there any point in me carrying on bidding?
Yes. Whether you become the successful bidder depends on who else has bid on a particular property. Obviously, the lower your housing need priority the less likely that you will be housed. The more flexible you are about the area you live in, the type of home you want and the more properties you bid for, the more likely you are to be successful. If you are unsuccessful you may want to consider some other options to help you find a home, for example renting privately or shared ownership, our Housing Options Service can help you with a advice on all types of housing, they can be contacted on 01634 333600 or at our offices at Municipal Buildings, Canterbury Street, Gillingham.
If this is about me having more choice why are their so many rules?
We have tried to keep the number of rules to a minimum, but, with a limited number of homes coming up for letting, there have to be some rules as to who can bid for what, and some homes are only suitable for particular groups of people.
It is difficult for me to access the adverts and bid for properties?
If your application indicates you may need assistance in accessing the HomeChoice scheme, there are a number of ways that we can help, by:
• Appointing an advocate or family member to check our adverts for properties which you would like to bid for
• The properties we have available each week can be posted directly to either yourself or your appointed advocate or family member
I'm pregnant. How will this affect the size of home I can look for?
When you are six months pregnant or more, you can bid for a home with larger accommodation than your household currently needs.
What does a local connection with Medway mean?
People with a local connection:
• have lived in the Medway Council area for six months out of the last 12 months, or three years out of the last five years
• or have employment within the Medway Council area
• or have a close family member who has lived in the Medway area for at least five years
• or are homeless and who Medway Council have a legal duty to house