Management Transfers

All IDS tenants can apply for a transfer to alternative accommodation by joining our ‘date-of-entry’ waiting list. These lists are very long and a tenant can usually expect to wait many years before reaching the top. 

There are times when this is not appropriate, or even possible, and for these situations IDS maintains a ‘management transfer list’. This list is used where either our needs, or the tenant’s circumstances, mean that a move is required urgently. 

Many tenants applying for transfer feel that their circumstances should be treated as urgent, or an emergency.  While we will always consider an application for urgent status, very few tenants are successful. This is because the housing shortage is so bad, not because we are dismissive of how difficult your circumstances are.

The situations where a need to move may be considered urgent are summarised in the following categories:

Management need
IDS needs the property empty for major repairs or development.

Emergency
The tenant’s home is uninhabitable due to fire, flood or other emergency.

Under occupation
A tenant has a property that is larger than they need and is prepared to move into smaller accommodation.

Medical emergencies
A tenant cannot be discharged from hospital to their current home.

A tenant is unable to leave their home because of serious mobility problems.

Racial harassment, domestic violence, other harassment or violence
There is a serious and immediate threat to life and limb.

Evidence of need

To be considered for an emergency transfer, you will need to provide evidence from supporting agencies such as your GP, your hospital, your local domestic violence / racial harassment team or the police. Fees are charged by some agencies for providing these letters and reports.

YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY COSTS - IDS IS NOT ABLE TO REFUND YOU.

Medical emergencies

The following summarises the medical circumstances that can be considered as emergencies. If your evidence does not support this level of need, you will not be granted medical status for transfer. The tenant’s current accommodation is totally inappropriate for their needs as follows:

• The accommodation poses a serious or life-threatening risk to the tenant’s health, or the health of a member of the household that IDS agrees is a legitimate occupant of the property.

• The accommodation makes normal life impossible. i.e. the tenant is unable to leave the property because of extreme permanent disability or permanently limited mobility; or because of permanent disability the tenant is unable to utilise the facilities in the accommodation

When IDS receives your supporting evidence, your case will be discussed at the allocations panel where it will be decided whether or not you fulfil the criteria for the management transfer list.  

Repairs and maintenance are not transfer issues

IDS has an extremely good record for maintenance of its property. If your home needs repairs IDS will arrange for them to be carried out as soon as possible.  In the very rare events that repairs cannot be carried out while the tenant is in occupation, the request for management status will come from our technical services department, not from the tenant.

Overcrowding is never grounds for management status

Emergency transfers are always offered on a ‘like for like’ basis, which means any management transfer will be to the same size (or smaller) accommodation than you currently occupy. Overcrowding is the biggest problem our tenants experience and this rule prevents the management list being used as a method to ‘queue jump’ the date-of-entry transfer list.

Management transfers are offered to solve an urgent problem. The tenant does not have the options available on the date-of-entry list. IDS will do its best to offer appropriate accommodation. It cannot extend to tenants the choices available on the date-of-entry list.  For this reason any tenant that receives a management transfer is able to maintain their place on the date-of-entry transfer list.

Appeals

In the event of a tenant being refused access to the management transfer list they have the right to appeal to the allocation panel in writing within fourteen days of notification. In the case of a medical emergency appeal the panel may require an independent medical assessment to be carried out for which IDS will bear the cost.

Please note…

Entry to the emergency list is not a guarantee that IDS will be able to identify alternative housing, however IDS will endeavour to secure more appropriate accommodation.