Common Allocation Policy for Tees Valley Lettings Partnership

Adapted properties

Homes which have been designed or adapted to meet the needs of people with physical or sensory disabilities, for example level access shower, wet room, widened doorways or changes to access to the property.

Advocate

Someone who an applicant has given permission to act on their behalf to deal with their application, for example a support worker or family member.

Affordability

At the point of a tenancy being offered, an affordability check will be carried out to confirm the applicant is able to afford and sustain the tenancy.

Applicant

A person who applies for housing on the lettings scheme.

Autobid

An automated process built into the digital letting platform in which Tees Valley Home Finder operates, which when activated, will bid for properties that fit the applicant's identified needs on behalf of the applicant.

Band

The system used for giving priority for housing.

Common allocation policy

A single set of rules covering the way we give priority for housing, shared by all the partner organisations.

Eligibility (adverts)

Set criteria used to determine who can or cannot bid for an advertised property based on the characteristics of their household.

Eligibility (applicant)

Rules governing who can or cannot be accepted on to the Tees Valley Common Allocation Policy.

Family type accommodation

Properties which are advertised as suitable for households comprising of one or two parents with one or more children of any age, or an applicant who is expecting a child.

Habitual residency

Your main home is in the Common Travel Area and you do not have plans to live anywhere else. The Common Travel Area means the UK, Republic of Ireland, Channel Islands or Isle of Man as defined in the Allocation of accommodation: guidance for local authorities.

Housing register

A single list of all the applicants who have registered and been accepted on to this scheme.

Interpreter

A person or organisation who can provide a translation service for non-English speaking customers or a sign language service for the hearing impaired.

Live application

An application will become 'Live' once all checks and evidence have been approved and a band award has been made. It is only at this stage an applicant can begin to 'bid' on properties.

Local connection

Connections to a local authority area because of residency, employment or close family.

Local lettings plan

A set of criteria in addition to the Common Allocation Policy that will determine eligibility for certain properties, for example new-build developments or to create more sustainable areas. A quota may also be set giving preference to specific bands.

Nomination agreement

This agreement details how the local authority and registered providers will co-operate and work in partnership to help people in housing need and to prevent homelessness.

Non-qualifying person

Someone who is not allowed to register with the scheme due to their behaviour or the behaviour of a member of their household.

Older persons accommodation

Specific types of homes which are made available only to applicants meeting assessed needs for such, for example adapted or accessible homes, sheltered and extra care homes which may carry an age restriction.

Partner

A landlord that advertises the majority of their vacant homes through the lettings scheme or the local authority (Council) for that area.

Priority date

The date when an applicant was given a priority band

Quota banding

Some Partnership RPs may use a quota system, which means that a percentage of their properties may give preference to band 2, 3 or 4 first. This will be made clear within the property advert.

Reasonable offer

An offer of a property that meets the applicants identified needs, such as number of bedrooms, property type, relevant adaptations deemed suitable for their needs.

Reasonable preference

The phrase used in the Housing Act to describe those types of housing need that should be given priority in a local authority's allocations policy.

Registration date

The date the application is received by one of the partners.

Registered provider (RP)

A housing association or housing company registered with the regulator of Social Housing.

Registered provider partner

A registered provider (RP) that advertises the majority of their vacant homes through this lettings scheme and the Local Authority (Council) area.

Renewals

An annual renewal of an application that an applicant will need to complete on the anniversary of their registration date for their application to remain live.

Shortlist

Produced at the end of the advertising period and ranks applicants 'bids' in order of priority. This may not always be in order of band 1 to 4 as it is dependent on whether the advert has specified a band preference.  

Tees Valley Home Finder

The IT system used by the partnership for registering applications and advertising properties.

The Partnership

The Tees Valley Lettings Partnership.

Unreasonable refusal

A refusal of an 'offer' would be considered unreasonable if an offer was deemed to be appropriate and suitable for the applicant and family's needs. Unacceptable or 'unreasonable' reasons for refusal include such things as internal decoration, inadequate outside space.