MOVING TO ANOTHER PROPERTY – WHAT ARE MY OPTIONS?

> Transfers

> Moves within the social rented sector

> Mutual Exchange

> Moving into owner occupation

TRANSFERS
> All IDS tenants can apply for transfer to an alternative property within IDS housing stock

 

All IDS tenants can apply for transfer to an alternative property within IDS housing stock if their rent account is not in arrears.

Our transfer system works on a ‘Date of Entry’ basis. This means that you climb the waiting list according to the time you have been waiting for a move.

Unfortunately, housing is in such short supply that waiting lists can be lengthy and you are likely to have a long wait before being offered a transfer.  We only offer Management Transfers in emergency and very urgent situations, reviewed by the IDS Allocation Panel.

If you want to apply to transfer to another IDS property you can obtain an information pack

> Download a Transfer Application Pack from this website  www.ids.org.uk/tenants/forms

> Call 020 8800 9606 ask for the Allocations Team and request a Transfer Application Pack or contact your local estate or sheltered scheme office.

See below for other options available to you that could help you move.

MANAGEMENT TRANSFERS
> Details of what circumstances can be considered for Management Status for transfer are included in Transfer Application Packs.There are exceptional times when we agree to move someone very quickly. Many tenants applying for transfer feel that their circumstances should be treated as urgent, or an emergency.  Our criteria for awarding management status are strict and few applications are successful due to the housing shortage.

More information about what can be considered for management transfer status can be found in the Transfer Application Pack. It is usually for very severe documented medical conditions or  when a resident is at immediate risk from others of severe harm or death.

MOVES WITHIN THE SOCIAL HOUSING SECTOR
> Are you under-occupying your home or are willing to move out of London?

 

> If you are 55 or older and you wish to move to a home outside of London then you may be interested in the Seaside & Country Homes scheme.

Local Authority Housing Register

Procedures vary in local authorities but it is always worth joining the local authority housing register. There are circumstances where a local authority can prioritise your application and be able to assist you more appropriately that we can as they have more stock.

Some local authorities operate incentive schemes for households that under-occupying their homes or for those who are willing to move out of London, sometimes into private rented accommodation. The Allocations Office will have information on whether such a scheme operates in your borough and, if so, how you can contact them.

If you are 55 or older and you wish to move to a home outside of London then you may be interested in the Seaside & Country Homes scheme.   You can also obtain information from the Allocations Office on 020 8800 9606

In a dire emergency we can sometimes request assistance from the local authority for an urgent move, on a voluntary basis. This option is only available where there is a very serious risk to the tenant, but there is no guarantee the local authority will assist.

MUTUAL EXCHANGE
> Join HomeSwapper free, the UK’s leading mutual exchange service for social housing tenants.Providing a few simple criteria are met, our residents in social housing have the right to swap or exchange their property with other social housing tenants.

All IDS tenants can have free access to the UK’s leading mutual exchange service for Social Housing.  Click on this link for more information  www.homeswapper.co.uk

With long IDS waiting lists for transfer and even longer council waiting lists, a Mutual Exchange can offer you a much quicker move to a more appropriate property.

OWNER OCCUPATION
> www.sharetobuy.com
is a good place to
start looking

Shared Ownership is an affordable home ownership scheme which makes it easier for first time buyers to get on the property ladder.

Share to Buy is a national Shared Ownership property portal, also listing Help to Buy, rental and other affordable home ownership properties. You can search for properties, use their helpful guides and FAQs to get all the  info you need and they can even help you find a mortgage to buy your perfect home.

The Allocations Office can give you contact details for these schemes but the best way to access all that’s on offer is via the internet.

BIDDING AND PENALTIES
> We use a penalties system with choice-based lettings (bidding) process

> Failing to bid three times in a row or refusing an offer after bidding for a property

 

 

We offer most properties, especially if they have more than one bedroom, to the Local Council for bidding using their Choice Based Letting bidding systems on their websites.

When we can make a property available to a tenant from our own waiting list, we invite our residents who meet the criteria to bid for the property – this means to confirm that you are interested.  You will be expected to attend a viewing and the flat will be offered to the person who has been waiting the longest.

If you fail to bid for 3 suitable properties in a row when invited to do so or refuse an offer after bidding for a suitable property, you will be suspended from the waiting list for a year.  The penalty for community lettings and direct applicants failing to respond is complete removal from the list and closure of their application.

Please ensure that we have your up-to-date contact details, including an email address and always respond quickly if you are offered the chance to view a property.

COMMUNITY LETTINGS
> Sons or daughters of a main tenant can apply for a property of their own if they are 25 or overTo ease overcrowding, IDS operates a Community Lettings waiting list for the adult children of existing IDS tenants. The applicant must currently live at the tenant’s address and have done so for the last 12 months continuously and have not moved out for more than twelve months on a permanent basis at any one time.  As this list is designed to help assist only currently overcrowded tenants, an application for Community Letting is only accepted by IDS if rehousing the applicant will NOT result in the main tenant’s property becoming under-occupied.  The IDS Allocations Team can give you more information about this.