Vale of White Horse District Council
Abbey House, Abbey Close,
Abingdon, OX14 3JE
Email: comments@whitehorsedc.gov.uk
Telephone: 01235 520202

Vale of White Horse District Council

How bids are assessed and offers of accommodation made

Properties are advertised for two weeks during which bids can be made. After two weeks the Council produces a list of bidders for each property. This lists all interested bidders in order of the date of their application to the Housing Register. A person will only be offered accommodation for which they are eligible. 

The Council then forwards details of the bidder at the top of each list to the relevant housing association, which then makes a formal offer by letter. In some cases, the Council or housing association is not able to make an offer to the applicant at the top of the list. Where the Council decides to bypass an applicant, details of the next highest applicant are forwarded. Applicants are only be bypassed in certain circumstances, which include the following:  

• Where there is a local lettings agreement in place whereby an applicant would not be suitable for that letting
• Where that applicant has rent arrears with a Council or a Registered Social Landlord
• Where a risk assessment is carried out by the housing association that raises serious concerns about the Housing Association's ability to manage that applicant's tenancy.   

Where a housing association wishes to reject a nomination with priority and not make an offer to that applicant and the Council is in agreement, or where a nominee refuses an offer, the Council forwards details of the next applicant, until the property is let. Associations may decline to make an offer to the bidder with the highest priority in the following situations: 

• Where to make an allocation to an applicant would be in breach of Housing Corporation guidelines,
• In the case of a Charitable Association, the nominee does not satisfy the association's charitable criteria,
• Where a risk assessment is carried out by the association that raises serious concerns about the association's ability to manage that applicant's tenancy or 
• Where there is a local lettings agreement between the Council and the association which means that applicant would not be suitable for an offer of accommodation.       

In such cases, the Council notifies a bidder of the reasons they have not been made an offer.  

Once an applicant receives an offer, they are invited to view the property and tell the Housing Association whether they want to accept or reject the offer.  

The Council and its partner housing associations are committed to minimising the length of time a property is vacant, and to make maximum use of the available housing stock. As such, applicants are given a specified time period in which they need to inform the landlord as to whether they wish to accept the offer of accommodation. This time may vary but is no less than five working days. Failure to notify a housing association of an applicant’s decision to accept or refuse a property within the specified period may be viewed as a refusal.