Housing Needs Register

The Housing Register is open to everyone over the age of 16, with the exception of applicants who can be excluded in the following circumstances:

Where a person from abroad is subject to immigration control under the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996, except where regulations prescribe otherwise.
Where a person from abroad is excluded from being allocated housing by regulations issued by the Secretary of State.
Where at the time of the application, the applicant or a member of the applicant's household, is considered to be guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make him/her unsuitable to be a tenant.

Getting on the register

For information about the Housing Register, our Allocations Policy and the way our points scheme works, to fill in or download an application form, please click on the links below.

Once your application has been received and if you are eligible to be included on the Housing Register, you will receive written confirmation, a renewal card and a registration number. If your application is to be excluded, you will also receive a letter letting you know why your application has been excluded and advising you of your right to request a review of the decision.

Visits

As soon as possible and before an offer of accommodation is made, a Housing Needs Officer will visit an applicant at the registered address to verify the information that has been provided, to offer relevant advice about re-housing prospects and to discuss possible alternative solutions.

Because of staffing limitations, priority for home visits will be given to those in greatest need (ie those with the most points) to ensure the assessment process is completed.

Re-registration

When you receive the letter of confirmation that you have been accepted onto the Housing Register you will also receive a renewal card which includes your Registration Number and the date you are due to re-register. You must contact the Housing Needs section, or return your renewal card to the Council by the date shown if you want to remain on the list. The Council will write to every applicant who has not renewed by their renewal date to check whether:

They want to stay on the register.
There are any changes to their circumstances.
They want their application to remain pending.

If you receive this letter you must respond within 14 days or your application will be cancelled from the Housing Register without any further contact from the Council.

Home Choice

Tandridge District Council has a system of allocating properties known as Choice Based Lettings. All available properties are advertised on this and you have to bid for any suitable properties.

Introductory tenancies

Tandridge operates an introductory tenancy scheme, as part of our commitment to fighting anti-social behaviour. All new tenants become introductory tenants and will not have the right to:

Buy their home
Take in lodgers
Sub-let
Make improvements
Exchange their home

If an introductory tenant breaks the tenancy conditions and we go to court, the judge must grant a possession order. After 12 months all introductory tenancies become secure tenancies unless we have begun possession proceedings.

Transfers

Existing council tenants and housing associations tenants can apply for a transfer to move to another property within the district. To do this you will need to complete a Housing Register application form. If you are still within the introductory period of your tenancy, this status will move with you.

Those transferring from family-sized general needs accommodation to accommodation designated for older persons or designated for persons over 40 years of age may be eligible for the Tenants' Transfer Incentive Scheme.

Mutual exchange

It may be possible for you to speed up your move to alternative accommodation by finding another council or housing association tenant who may want to exchange accommodation with you. You can advertise for a mutual exchange in shops, newspapers or on the Council's Mutual Exchange Register. If you do advertise on the register, your telephone number will be available to the public.

Your right to information

The Council is required to provide information to applicants to enable them to make informed choices over the parishes/areas in which they apply to live and the type of accommodation they apply for. To help applicants the Council has produced a list of council property and a list of other organisations with accommodation in the area. These lists can be provided on request or downloaded by clicking on the links below.

You can also view a list of how Council and Housing Association accommodation has been allocated each month by visiting the Home Choice website at www.tandridge-homechoice.org.uk (This link will open in a new window) and clicking on the 'Recent Lets' link in the menu bar near the top of the page.

The Council must inform applicants of decisions to exclude them from the allocation scheme or to afford them less preference and of the right to request a review of such decisions.

Your right to review an offer of council accommodation

We try to ensure all offers of council accommodation or nominations to housing association vacancies meet your needs and preferences. Sometimes this may not be possible and you may feel you have been offered unsuitable accommodation.

If you think, you have been made an unreasonable offer, you should first discuss this with the officer who made you the offer and explain why you consider the property to be unsuitable. If you are still not satisfied that the offer is reasonable after discussing it with the relevant officer, you can request a review of its suitability.

If you would like to make a request you should complete the form by clicking on the link below and submit it to us as soon as possible.

Request of a review of council accommodation

Alternatively you can write to the Housing Needs Manager at the Council Offices.

If you have been made an offer of temporary accommodation because you are homeless, you can request a review of its suitability even though you have accepted the tenancy. This is very important because you are only entitled to one offer of suitable accommodation. It will not usually be possible to keep the offer open to you while the review is completed.

For further information please contact Housing Needs on 01883 732825 or 01883 732826 or e-mail housingneeds@tandridge.gov.uk

Or write to us at:
Tandridge District Council
8 Station Road East
Oxted RH8 0BT

Maps and directions to our offices.

If you have any comments about our services, please fill in our Contact us form.

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