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Lettings Policy

When you are allocated a property you enter into a legal contract with the Council - this is called the Tenancy Agreement.
 
For information email: info@southlakeshousing.co.uk
 
If you are offered a property:
 
  • checks will be made to ensure that your circumstances haven't changed e.g. that no rent or other debt is owed;
  • you will have an opportunity to view the property and decide whether you want to accept it. If you refuse two offers which meet your stated choices, your application will be placed on a deferred list for 12 months, during which time no further offers will be made. You will be asked for your reasons for refusing the properties and we will check whether you want to reconsider your options;
  • you are expected to make a written decision as soon as possible, and no later than five days after the offer of tenancy.
  • once the start date of the tenancy has been confirmed, occupation must be taken within four weeks by all persons who initially applied. Failure to do so will result in legal action being raised to recover the property.
 
You are expected to occupy your house as your main and permanent home. If you need to go away from your home for a long period please let us know. If you are not living at your home and you have not informed us the Council may begin legal action to evict you.
 
 
Please see the CBL Letting Policy for Council properties:
 
 

Cumbria Choice Choice Based Lettings

 

 

From April 2011 anyone wanting to rent social housing in Cumbria will be able to apply to the one scheme for housing in any part of the county.  You will also be able to apply to the scheme by visiting the Cumbria Choice website where you will be able to view and search by area all the properties available for renting in the county. It will be just like visiting an on-line estate agent.

 

The website will be available in April 2011 – http://www.cumbriachoice.org.uk/

 

There is a lot happening between now and April 2011. All those people currently on housing waiting lists with: Accent Housing, Barrow Borough Council, Derwent & Solway, Eden Housing, Home Group, Impact Housing, Riverside, Two Castles and South Lakes Housing will be sent a new housing application form which they will need to complete so they are transferred onto the new housing register with their original date of registration. All existing applications will be cancelled.

 

Cumbria Choice newsletter - October 2010|

 

Cumbria choice Newsletter - June 2010

 

Working Together

The 6 District Authorities and 8 Housing Organisations are working together to develop a new way of letting their properties which will give more choice to local people needing social rented housing.

 

The 8 housing organisations are; Accent Housing; Derwent & Solway; Eden Housing; Home; Impact Housing; Riverside; Two Castles, South Lakes Housing Arms Length Management Organisation.

 

One Application Form

At present most properties in the County are allocated to those on housing registers using a points-based system. The customer has to register with each housing organisation and then wait to be made an offer.  Under choice based lettings, landlords will advertise their properties through the scheme and customers will then choose which homes they are interested in applying for.

 

Where point based schemes are used they will be replaced with a banding system. Customers will only need to complete one application form to register on the Cumbria Scheme and will be able to look at all properties in the County. Local connection to an area will still be given priority but 10% of properties will be made available to people across Cumbria.

 

The comments received during the consultation period were taken into account when finalising the Cumbria Choice based lettings allocation policy.

 

Housing application form |

 

Medical Form |

 

If you require the policy in another format or language, please contact South Lakes Housing

 

FAQs

Lettings Standard

 
SLH have produced a Pictorial Voids Letting Standard which outlines the standard of accommodation that a South Lakes Housing customer can expect when taking a new tenancy. 
 
 
Download Lettings StandardDownload : Lettings Standard (PDF format)
Size 6531Kb. Download time 21 mins 46 secs over a typical dial-up connection.