Housing Allocations Policy

1.1 All local authorities are required to have a housing allocations policy (also known as an allocations scheme) which sets out the priorities and defines the procedures to be followed in allocating social housing in accordance with the requirements of Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 as amended. This document sets out Dover District Council’s (“the Council”) policy for the allocation of social housing accommodation in the Dover district (“the scheme”). The Scheme sets out the eligibility and qualifying criteria, and details how applications will be assessed, processed and how decisions will be made.

2.1 For the purposes of this policy:

‘We’, ‘us’, ‘ours’ and ‘the Council’ refers to Dover District Council

‘Applicant’ or ‘applicants’ refers to residents who have applied to be on the Council’s Housing Register.

3.1 The Housing Register and this Allocations Policy operate under the provisions of Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended). The Council will also ensure full compliance with all relevant housing legislation governing the allocation of council homes.

3.2 The following regulations also apply:

• Allocation of Housing (Procedure) Regulations 1997, SI 1997/483
• Allocation of Housing (England) Regulations 2002, SI 2002/3264
• Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) Regulations 2006, SI 2006/1294
• Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Armed Forces) (England) Regulations 2012, SI 2012/1869
• Housing Act 1996 (Additional Preference for Armed Forces) (Armed Forces) (England) Regulations 2012, SI 2012/2989
• Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Right to Move) (England) Regulations 2015, SI 2015/967
• The Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) Regulations 2018, SI 2018/730
• Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, SI 2019/861
• Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Victims of Domestic Abuse and Care Leavers) (England) Regulations 2025, SI 2025/706
• Allocation of Housing and Homelessness (Eligibility) (England) (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 2018/1056

3.3 In conjunction with the above regulations and legislation, the Policy also takes into account the codes of guidance issued by the Government:

• Allocation of Accommodation: Code of Guidance for Housing Authorities 2012
• The Allocation of Accommodation: Choice Based Lettings Code of Guidance for Housing Authorities 2008
• Fair and Flexible: Statutory guidance on social housing allocations for local authorities in England 2009
• Providing social housing for local people, December 2013 • Right to Move and social housing allocations, March 2015
• Improving access to social housing for victims of domestic abuse, November 2018
• Improving access to social housing for members of the Armed Forces, June 2020

3.4 In developing this policy, the Council has had regard to the following Council strategies:

• Corporate Plan
• Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy
• Tenancy Strategy

4.1 The Policy explains what help people can expect from us in meeting their housing needs and sets out the system and processes by which we let Council-owned homes and make nominations for housing owned and managed by housing associations. The policy sets out:

• How homes are allocated
• Who is eligible to be accepted onto the housing register
• How to apply to Dover’s housing register
• How priority for housing applicants will be given
• How transfer applications will be assessed
• Eligibility for different property types

4.2 This Policy will be reviewed annually and may have to be amended to reflect on any legislative changes.

5.1 The key objectives of this allocation policy are to:

• Provide housing applicants in Dover district with a fair and transparent system by which they are prioritised for social housing
• Give priority to applicants with the greatest housing need
• Give applicants the opportunity to express preferences about their accommodation wherever possible, whilst allowing us to meet the local needs of Dover residents
• Enable applicants to make informed choices about their options
• Ensure sufficient priority is awarded to transfers in order to make best use of the social housing stock and strive to achieve a balance between existing tenants and new applicants
• Promote the development of sustainable mixed communities and neighbourhoods of choice
• Make efficient use of our resources and those of our partner Registered Providers
• Ensure priority for social housing in rural areas is given to households with a relevant local connection
• To enable to meet the Council’s prevention and homelessness statutory duties

How homes are let

Choice-based lettings

6.1 We are 1 of 13 local authority, and 31 housing association partners involved in Kent Homechoice the choice-based lettings service which is used to let social homes across the whole of Kent. As a partner we are committed to offering the greatest choice possible in the allocation of social housing in the district, whilst ensuring that housing goes to those with the greatest need.

6.2 Choice based lettings (CBL) schemes are designed to introduce an element of choice for people who apply for Council and Housing Association homes. Choice based lettings allow people applying for a home, including existing tenants who want a transfer, to bid for properties which become available.

6.3 Available properties are advertised in various ways, and the adverts will describe the property, and which type of household can bid for it. For example, if it is for an elderly or disabled person, or for a household which needs a certain number of bedrooms.

6.4 Where an applicant may have difficulty in making bids for properties without assistance, they may nominate a friend, relative or advocacy worker from an appropriate agency to act on their behalf. In certain circumstances applicants can be added to the automated bidding list to ensure a bid is placed on all the properties they are eligible to bid for.

6.5 Once bids have been made, they are sorted in order of priority, and the person with the highest priority normally gets considered first for the property. If that person turns the offer down, the next person on the list gets the chance to see it, and so on.

6.6 There will be certain situations where choice in the allocation of housing has to be restricted – such as when the Council or a Housing Association needs to rehouse a household in an emergency. The circumstances when this may apply are set out in the policy.

6.7 Apart from these exceptional cases, housing will be allocated to applicants who bid for a specific property, and all applicants will have the opportunity to bid for properties they are entitled to be considered for, having regard to household size and other eligibility criteria.

6.8 Choice based lettings enables those seeking housing in the district to identify the level of priority they have been awarded within the allocation scheme, to develop awareness of the availability of accommodation suitable to their needs within the district, and to make informed decisions which balance their need for accommodation with the availability of properties that meet their requirements. As a result, applicants can decide whether to wait until they have sufficient priority to obtain their ideal property, or whether to lower their aspirations and bid for properties they are more likely to have a chance of obtaining. It also helps applicants to make an informed choice about whether they wish to seek alternative solutions to their housing needs.

6.9 Appendix 7 gives more information about how Kent Homechoice, the choice-based lettings scheme works.

Local lettings policies

6.10 For some areas we may have introduced a local lettings policy setting out additional criteria regarding who can apply for properties in those areas. This is done to develop balanced and sustainable communities and to tackle specific issues within the area.

6.11 This means that in certain, clearly defined circumstances, these criteria will take precedence over an individual’s housing needs.

6.12 Examples of situations when a local lettings policy may be used include:

• New developments where there is a need to achieve a balanced mix of household sizes
• Criteria that aim to reduce the likelihood of anti-social behaviour in areas that have existing high levels of ASB.

Rural expectation schemes

6.13 Local needs schemes are special schemes for letting properties owned by Registered Social Landlords (RSL) in rural areas. This is not housing stock to which the Housing Act 1996 Part VI (opens in new tab) applies, and the schemes do not form part of the Council’s housing lettings policy. However, properties available for let under the schemes are advertised on the choice-based lettings system.

6.14 The purpose of the rural needs schemes is to let affordable rural homes to people who meet specified local connection criteria, thereby enabling people to remain in the village where they have lived and worked rather than being forced out by high house prices or rents.

6.15 The requirements to meet the special local connection criteria are stated in the Council’s Affordable Housing Rural Exception Schemes Supplementary Planning Guidance (opens in new tab) and will be clearly stated on any advertisement for local needs properties which appear on the choice-based lettings system.

6.16 Applicants applying for such housing will be asked to provide evidence confirming their eligibility and parish Councils will assist with this verification process where it is a requirement of the planning agreement.

Homeless households

6.17 We are committed to extending choice of housing to those who are accepted as homeless under the Council’s statutory duties as far as this is compatible with the effective use of Council resources and the provision where necessary, of temporary accommodation.

6.18 The Council reserves the right to restrict the allocation of properties to certain groups of applicants or to make direct offers of accommodation to households waiting for re-housing to fulfil its homelessness duties and ensure timely move-on from its temporary accommodation.

6.19 Consequently, those accepted as being owed the full statutory housing duty under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab) (as amended), will be given a period of 4 weeks from notification of acceptance within which to bid for properties through Kent Homechoice. If during the 4 weeks they have not been bidding appropriately for a property, administering staff may bid on their behalf for each suitable property that becomes available and may change bids when an applicant has applied for a property that they are ineligible for. If at the end of the 4 weeks they have not been successful for rehousing, one direct final offer of accommodation may be made, subject to the discretion of the Options Officer and in extenuating circumstances, on a case-by-case basis.

6.20 In either situation the offer of a suitable property will constitute as a nomination for the purposes of discharging the homeless duty.

6.21 Because of the very limited stock of larger homes, families requiring four bedrooms or more may be offered three-bedroom properties however this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Eligibility

Qualifying persons

6.22 All ‘qualifying persons’ are eligible to have their application added to the Housing Register. Section 160ZA of Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab), (as amended), confirms that the Secretary of State may prescribe who are or are not qualifying persons.

6.23 Currently, the following persons are entitled to join the housing register:

• Any person aged 16 or over, and
• Their current home is their only home, or sole residence, and
• They do not have access to a suitable home elsewhere, and
• They are not already on the housing list, either on their own or with someone else; and
• They are not ineligible for housing assistance under section 160ZA(2) (opens in new tab) and (4) (opens in new tab), and 185(2) (opens in new tab) of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended), or any regulation prescribed by the Secretary of State.
• They, or a member of their household, have not been guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make them unsuitable to be a tenant. Unacceptable behaviour means it was so serious that, had they been a secure tenant of the local authority, the authority would have been entitled to a possession order (not suspended) against them by virtue of the behaviour. This relates to an entitlement to possession on the following grounds:

6.24 Where a person has previously been found ineligible due to unacceptable behaviour but now believes this should no longer be held against him, he can make a fresh application. Unless there has been a considerable lapse of time, it will be the applicant’s responsibility to show that their circumstances or behaviour have changed. We may ask applicants to provide us with two references from the police, probation services or their landlord.

6.25 The Government says that in general we cannot allocate housing to people who need leave to enter or remain in the UK – and this applies to everyone except British and Irish citizens, certain Commonwealth citizens with a right of abode in the UK and people with a right to reside in the UK under European law. If you need leave to enter or remain in the UK (regardless of whether you have leave) you will only be eligible to join the housing register if you fall into one of the following categories:

A. A person recorded by the Secretary of State as a refugee

B. A person granted Exceptional Leave to Remain outside of the Immigration Rules which is not subject to a condition of non-recourse to public funds (Indefinite Leave to Remain)

C. A person who has unconditional and unlimited leave to remain in the UK, is habitually resident in the Common Travel Area (UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or EIRE) and who (subject to exceptions) is not sponsored

D. A person who has been granted Humanitarian Protection

E. Afghan citizens granted limited leave to enter the UK under paragraph 276BA1 of the Immigration Rules who are habitually resident in the Common Travel Area

F. A person granted limited leave to enter or remain in the UK on family or private life grounds under article 8 of the European Convention of Human Rights under paragraph 276BE (1 or 276DG or Appendix FM of the Immigration Rules which is not subject to a condition of non-recourse to public funds

G. A person who is habitually resident in the Common Travel Area, who has been transferred to the United Kingdom under section 67 of the Immigration Act 2016 (opens in new tab) and has limited leave to remain under paragraph 352ZH of the Immigration Rules; and

H. A person who is habitually resident in the Common Travel Area and has Calais leave to remain under paragraph 352J of the Immigration Rules.

6.26 The Government also says that we cannot allocate housing to anyone unless they are habitually resident in the Common Travel Area, subject to certain exceptions for people with rights of residence under European law and people who are in the UK as a result of being deported or expelled from another country.

6.27 The Government also says that we cannot allocate housing to a person whose only right to reside in the UK arises under European law based on their status as a jobseeker or an initial 3 months’ right of residence or is a derivative right of residence based on being the principal carer for a British citizen.

6.28 The Council is not allowed to allocate housing to an ineligible person by granting them a joint tenancy with another, eligible person. These rules do not apply to a person who is already a secure or introductory tenant or an assured tenant of accommodation to which they have been nominated by a local housing authority. In that case, you are free to apply for a transfer regardless of your immigration status.

6.29 The detailed provisions of these rules are quite complex, and the above is only a summary of them. The summary is accurate at the time of publication, but these rules are subject to change by statutory instruments issued from time to time.

16 and 17-year-olds

6.30 Young people under the age of 18 are not able to hold an interest in land and special arrangements must be made to allocate them social housing.

6.31 For young people under the age of 18 a Council or Housing Association may grant permission to allow the occupation of a property by way of a licence or “Equitable Agreement” where a trustee will hold the legal estate.

Debts – rent arears and former tenant arrears

6.32 We may also take into account, in accordance with S166A(5) of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab) (as amended), current or former tenancy arrears due to non-payment of rent, charges for use and occupation or due to damage to the property owed to this Council, another Council, social or private landlord, and claims made against a Rent Deposit Bond provided by the Council.

6.33 In these circumstances the application will be registered but may be suspended until the debt is reduced to a reasonable level. A reasonable level is generally considered to be £400 or less, or no more than four weeks rent arrears, or the applicant can provide a repayment plan agreed with the applicant’s landlord and can evidence payment against the plan for the last 6 months, at the time of being verified for a property.

6.34 If the application is already registered and has been placed in a band but falls into arrears which exceed £400 or four weeks rent, the application may be suspended until the situation is remedied.

6.35 Each case will be considered on its own merits.

6.36 Where an application is suspended for the above reasons the applicant will be notified in writing of the decision and the grounds for it (S166A(5) (opens in new tab)).

6.37 If Court action is being taken to get an outright possession order or a Bailiff’s Warrant for eviction, no offers of housing will be made without the agreement of the Housing Options Manager.

6.38 Housing Associations (HAs) participating in the choice-based lettings scheme may have policies which prevent them offering a tenancy to an applicant who has former tenant arrears with another local authority or HA.

Serious Offenders

6.39 Applications made by serious offenders will be subject to an appropriate assessment of their eligibility, which will take MAPPA (Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements) guidance into account. Any allocation will only be made following a multi-agency risk assessment and where suitable and safe accommodation has been identified.

National witness mobility services (NWMS)

6.40 To assist the national police force to tackle serious crime and to support witnesses in the legal process, the Council works in partnership with colleagues in the NWMS and will, as required, accept referrals from this source.

6.41 Such cases will have been assessed and verified by the NWMS managers and referrals will only be accepted with the agreement of the Housing Options Manager. There are particular confidentiality considerations for such cases and no personal information will be taken until the applicant accepts a direct offer of accommodation in the district.

6.42 Any proposed offer will be checked for suitability by the NWMS before the offer is made and details of successful lettings may not subsequently be made available to the public

Local connection

6.43 Whilst keen to encourage and facilitate mobility within social housing, we will ensure that in determining priorities for housing, a higher degree of preference will be awarded to applicants who have a local connection with the district. Appendix 1 explains how we decide on a local connection with the district.

Financial Assessment

6.44 Social housing is intended for households who are unable to meet their housing need in the open market, and its development has usually been subsidised to ensure that it is affordable for lower income households.

6.45 At a time when the demand for affordable housing significantly exceeds supply it is important that social homes are allocated to those households who have the greatest need.

6.46 Section s.160ZA (6)(a) of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab) (as amended by the Localism Act 2011) allows the Council to decide who will be or will not be a qualifying person and section 166A of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab) allows us to give less priority to an applicant who is considered to have sufficient financial resources to meet their own need.

6.47 Where an applicant is considered to have sufficient financial income, capital or assets, to allow them to access other forms of tenure to meet their housing need, they will be awarded a lower priority and placed in a lower band.

6.48 The Council will also consider any previous disposals of assets, income, capital, or savings when calculating the financial resources available, which will include disposals for nil (for example transfer of ownership) or below market value.

4.49 Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of their income, savings, and assets in order to verify the affordability assessment and prior to any offer of accommodation.

6.50 Each application where the financial resources threshold is exceeded will be assessed on its own merits and the Council recognises that that there may be exceptions. Examples could include:

• A property owner with an over-riding medical need where they are considered to have insufficient income and equity to purchase a property that meets their specific medical need
• An applicant with unusually high, but justifiable expenditure

6.51 Any applicant deemed to exceed the financial threshold will be provided with a full written explanation for the decision and will have the right to ask for the decision to be reviewed.

6.52 The Council recognises that housing affordability can change over a period of time and it will therefore review the methodology and if necessary, amend the threshold amount.

6.53 Information regarding the assessment of financial resources can be found at Appendix 3.

Adequately housed

6.54 Households with little or no real need for social housing are usually considered to be adequately housed. If an applicant has enough space for their family according to current housing policy and they are in a financial position to secure accommodation via another means of tenure, they will be considered to be adequately housed. Exceptions will include households that are seeking and are eligible for sheltered housing.

Applying to the Dover Housing Register

What is the Housing Register?

6.55 The Housing Register is essentially the list of people who wish to be housed by a social landlord in Dover district and existing tenants who wish to transfer to another Council or Housing Association property.

6.56 We receive a large number of enquiries each year from people looking to rent a home in the district and there are in the region of 2,000 households on our housing register at any time. Regrettably, there are only enough properties becoming available to be able to house around 400 of these households each year. As a result of this shortfall, applicants for housing, and particularly those identified as having low need, may have to wait a considerable period of time before being housed.

6.57 Applicants may want to consider other options for rehousing such as renting accommodation in the private sector or moving to other parts of the country where accommodation is more plentiful. Dover District Council has a team of Housing Options Officers who can provide advice and information about how to access other types of housing.

6.58 Further information about other options available can be found on the Kent Homechoice website: www.kenthomechoice.org.uk (opens in new tab)

6.59 Because of the limited amount of social housing available to rent in the district we have a system to prioritise households on the housing register in accordance with their identified need for housing and to manage the letting of social homes in accordance with our objectives. The criteria and rules that relate to this system are set out in Appendix 4 of this policy.

How to apply for housing

6.60 People wishing to apply for housing should complete a housing application form. The simplest way to do this is to visit the Kent Homechoice website at www.kenthomechoice.org.uk (opens in new tab) and choose the Register tab. An application form and assistance with completing it can also be obtained from us.

6.61 It is important that the application is completed fully and any evidence requested on the form is provided because additional priority for length of time on the Housing Register will only start to accrue from the date that we receive all the information necessary to make an assessment.

6.62 Incomplete paper applications without supporting information will be returned to the applicant. Online applications will be sent one email reminder. Applicants will have 21 days to submit all the necessary supporting information. Any incomplete applications after this time will be cancelled.

6.63 Once the form has been completed and all the information has been provided, the Council may need to make additional enquiries, including conducting a credit reference check. We will normally conduct a home visit before an offer of accommodation is made in order to verify the applicant’s circumstances.

6.64 Under Section 171 of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab), it is a criminal offence for an applicant to knowingly give false information or to withhold information relevant to their application.

6.65 An applicant may be committing an offence if they knowingly give false information or knowingly withhold information which has reasonably been asked for on the housing application form or in response to the yearly review. They will also be committing an offence if they allow someone else to provide false information on their behalf, or they ask them to provide false information.

6.66 A person guilty of such an offence would be liable on summary conviction to a fine of up to £5,000.

6.67 In addition, a tenancy granted on the basis of information subsequently found to be false or because material information has been withheld, may result in legal action being taken by the landlord to recover possession of the property.

Proof of identity and supporting information

6.68 For each named applicant photographic identification, for example a valid passport or photo driving licence, must accompany all applications. This should be a recent photograph clearly marked with the name and address as it appears on the application together with his/her signature.

6.69 Appendix 2 has more information about providing proof of identity.

Joint applications

6.70 Applicants with children, who live separately from their partner, should complete their application using the address at which the children normally live and will be assessed from that address.

Members of the council, staff members and their relations

6.71 To ensure that we are seen to be treating all applicants fairly, any application from members of the Council, employees of the Council or associated persons must be disclosed on the application form.

6.72 Such applications will be assessed in the normal way but, to ensure public confidence, any accommodation allocated to the applicant under the scheme must be approved by the Head of Housing following appropriate checks.

6.73 The term ‘associated persons’ above is as defined in S178 of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab) (as amended).

Renewing an application

6.74 It is an applicant’s responsibility to renew their application each year. Every applicant will be sent a renewal notification by letter or email, close to the anniversary of the date of registration, which will include a request to provide information on any change in circumstances. If the renewal is not returned within four weeks the application will be cancelled without further notice. An application can only be considered for reinstatement in exceptional circumstances and only if the request is made within six months of the cancellation date.

Not actively bidding

6.75 Applicants who fail to place any bids over a twelve-month period may have their application cancelled, unless it is demonstrated that no suitable accommodation has become available within those twelve months or there were other exceptional circumstances that did not make placing bids possible.

6.76 Those applicants whose applications are cancelled may reapply, but their housing circumstances will be investigated in full before being accepted back onto the register.

6.77 Applicants will be given notice in writing if their application has been cancelled for this reason.

Change of circumstances

6.78 Once placed in a priority band, applicants should notify the Housing Needs section of any material change in their circumstances that will affect their priority for housing, for example:

• A change of address, for themselves or any other person on the application.
• Any additions to the family or any other person joining the application
• Any member of the family or any other person on the application who has left the accommodation.
• The health of any member of the family or any other person on the application, getting better or worse.
• Any change in income or savings.

6.79 Applicants will be required to complete an online Change of Circumstances form (opens in new tab) and applications will be temporarily suspended from bidding while the Council assesses the information provided by the applicant and completes further enquiries that may be necessary.

6.80 The Council will carry out an assessment of each applicant’s entitlement to and priority for re-housing based on information which has been provided by the applicant or otherwise received in connection with the application

Assessment of need and determining priority

The banding system

6.81 To try and be as fair as possible in deciding who should be offered properties, we use a banding system to determine priority for rehousing. Assessment is based on an applicant’s housing circumstances, suitability of the property, and any medical problems.

6.82 Persons eligible to join the housing list will have their application assessed by a Council Officer and placed into one of five bands, in accordance with the ‘Fair and flexible’ statutory guidance. The bands are referred to as ‘A, B, C, D and E’, and applications in band A will be given the highest priority for rehousing, band B the next highest, then C, then band D, with band E applicants having the lowest priority.

6.83 Further details of how an applicant’s circumstances will determine the priority band they are placed in, are set out in Appendix 4.

Waiting time

6.84 The housing register will differentiate between people who are in the same priority band according to their waiting time, taking into account the following:

• For new applicants, the date of their completed application.
• For transferring tenants, the date they applied for a transfer, and have provided all the information required by the local authority to make an assessment.
• For existing applicants or tenants, the date they notified the local authority of a significant change in their circumstances, that is, one which will improve their priority band. For changes that lower their priority band, the date of application applies.

6.85 In all cases waiting time will only start to accrue once all the information required by the Council to make an assessment has been provided and the application registered.

Medical priority

6.86 Applicants who indicate in their application form that they consider their health or disability is seriously aggravated by their current housing conditions may be asked to complete a self-certification medical assessment form describing their health problems. Additional information, such as from a medical professional, may also be submitted. A home visit may be made to establish how the medical issue is affected in real terms by their housing situation.

6.87 Applicants should be aware that even if they provide supporting documents stating that a move to alternative accommodation would be essential, it is for the Council to determine the appropriate level of priority in accordance with the allocation scheme.

6.88 All medical information supplied will be assessed initially by the Dover Medical Panel, consisting of two Council Allocations Officers. Cases where the illness or disability is serious will be passed to the Council’s independent Medical Adviser for assessment.

6.89 Applicants will be advised by letter of the medical priority awarded and the type of accommodation identified as being suitable for their needs.

6.90 If we determine that a particular type of property is required on medical grounds; for example, a home with no internal stairs, the applicant will be expected to bid for accommodation matching that criteria. Bids placed on accommodation that does not meet the required criteria may be bypassed. If the applicant continues to bid on accommodation that does not meet their medical requirements, any priority awarded on medical grounds will be reviewed and may be removed.

6.91 If an applicant’s medical circumstances improve, any priority awarded on medical grounds will be reviewed and may be removed.

6.92 The criteria for awarding medical priority are set out in Appendix 5.

Kent agency assessment (KAA)

6.93 The Kent Agency Assessment (KAA) process is a mechanism for Health or Social Services professionals, and their agents, to refer an applicant with a housing related health/support need, to the Council for help accessing suitable accommodation.

6.94 A Kent Agency Assessment should be used where an applicant requires re-housing due to a health/support need that cannot be met in, or is being exacerbated by, their current accommodation and the form provides all the supporting information required to assess an applicant’s housing needs.

6.95 If more than one KAA is received per household, i.e. one for each applicant, then the band will only be awarded against the KAA providing the highest priority.

6.96 Applicants will be advised by letter of the level of priority awarded and the type of accommodation identified as being suitable for their needs.

Service personnel

6.97 For serving members of the Armed Forces, waiting time priority will be based on the total cumulative period of their length of military service rather than just time on the Housing Register. This means that once an applicant has submitted evidence of their start date in the Armed Forces, this will be their effective date on the Housing Register.

6.98 This will have the effect of raising their priority above applicants in similar circumstances who have not undertaken military service.

6.99 Confirmation of commencement of service will be required at the time of registration.

6.100 Applications from those currently in Armed Forces accommodation will usually be suspended until three months before the end of service and details of financial resources at that time will need to be supplied.

6.101 For former members of the Armed Forces, the effective date will be the date that they provided all supporting evidence to Dover District Council.

5.6 Deliberately worsening circumstances

6.102 Once we have assessed an applicant’s housing priority, we may reduce that priority if the applicant or a member of their household has done something that has deliberately made their housing circumstances worse.

6.103 The applicant will be placed in Band D if for example, they or a household member has:

• moved to new accommodation that is worse than the previous accommodation without good reason; or
• sold a property or given notice on a tenancy without securing alternative accommodation first

6.104 When we decide to reduce priority to Band D, this will be for a period of twelve months from the date of decision.

Sensitive lettings

6.105 Where a vacancy arises in an area that has been subject to a significant level of anti-social behaviour or other factors such as the frailty and vulnerability of neighbours, it may be advertised as a sensitive let. This means that priority may not be given to the applicant in the highest priority in the interests of sustainable communities.

Other considerations in determining priority

6.106 Because of the shortage of social housing and to make best use of all the available stock, there may be occasions when properties are restricted to certain groups of applicants waiting for re-housing in order that the Council can fulfil its duties and responsibilities, including achieving a balance of lettings. This will be made clear in the advertisement for the property.

6.107 As there is limited availability of purpose built and adapted properties for people with disabilities, those with a need for such accommodation will be considered for suitable properties, for example with level access, based on medical priority.

6.108 In considering priority for re-housing between applicants with a similar priority under the banding Policy, the Council will also take account of the immediacy of need of each applicant. This means, for example, that where two applicants in the same band are interested in the same property and they have equal waiting time, preference may be given where one of the applicants is facing a more immediate loss of their existing home than the other.

6.109 If an applicant has multiple needs this will NOT increase their priority. In each case, the most urgent housing need will apply, and the applicant will be placed in the band most suitable for their needs.

6.110 Priority for un-adapted houses will be given to families with children aged 13 and under at the date of offer. Irrespective of a household’s banding, an applicant will not be considered for an un-adapted house with a garden if there are no children aged 13 and under within the household. This is because the council’s wish is to make private gardens available first to families with young children so that the children have somewhere safe to play, with other uses being a secondary consideration. Therefore, un-adapted houses with gardens are restricted to those households with children aged 13 and under and that when determining which household should be offered any given property, the usual criteria (as set out from 5.1 onwards) will apply in the normal way.

6.111 Where separated parents share custody of a child or children, only the parent who is in receipt of Child Benefit will qualify for a property suitable to house the child or children. A Court Order allowing access to children or confirming residence between separated parents does not mean that the council must consider that the child is part of an applicant’s household for the purposes of a housing register application.

6.112 Because of the very limited availability of four- and five-bedroom homes, priority for three-bedroom properties with two living rooms (parlour type), will be given to larger families, to ensure best use is made of the available stock.

Allocations exceptions

6.113 People who apply to join the housing register are assessed in accordance with the provisions of Part VI of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab) (as amended). There are several circumstances where people will be assessed outside of this and will have their applications managed by the local authority and/or housing association separately. These circumstances are:

• Mutual exchange.
• An application made under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (as amended) (Homelessness) (opens in new tab) and consideration for temporary accommodation under this Part.
• Transfers involving a temporary decant for major works, or other management reason not involving an application from the tenant.
• Where a local authority secures the provision of suitable alternative accommodation under the Land Compensation Act 1973, section 39 (opens in new tab).
• The grant of a secure tenancy under the Housing Act 1985, sections 554 (opens in new tab) or 555 (opens in new tab), regarding a defective home.
• Any duties arising from an application made under the Rent (Agriculture) Act 1976, section 27 (opens in new tab) or 28 (opens in new tab).
• Where a secure tenant dies, the tenancy is a periodic one, and there is a person qualified to succeed the tenant under the Housing Act 1985, section 89 (opens in new tab).
• Where a secure tenant with a fixed term tenancy dies and the tenancy remains secure by virtue of the Housing Act 1985, section 90 (opens in new tab).
• Where a secure tenancy is assigned to someone who would be qualified to succeed to the tenancy if the secure tenant died immediately before the assignment.
• The grant of a secure joint tenancy where the tenancy is held by one of the joint tenants as a sole tenancy.
• The grant of a secure sole tenancy to a former joint tenant, where the joint tenancy has been terminated by one joint tenant and the other tenant wants to remain in the property (when this is in accordance with eligibility for that specific property type).
• Where a secure tenancy vests or is otherwise disposed of in pursuance of an order made under:
  • the Matrimonial Causes Act 1973, Section 24 (property adjustment orders in connection with matrimonial proceedings); or
  • the Matrimonial and Family Proceedings Act 1984, Section 17(1) (property adjustment orders after overseas divorce); or
  • the Children Act 1989, Schedule 1, Paragraph 1 (orders for financial relief against parents).
• Where an introductory tenancy:
  • Becomes a secure tenancy on ceasing to be an introductory tenancy; or
  • Vests under Section 133(2) of the Housing Act 1996 (succession to an introductory tenancy on death of the tenant); or
  • Is assigned to someone who would be qualified to succeed the introductory tenancy if the introductory tenant died immediately before the assignment; or
  • Meets the criteria in the previous paragraph (disposal).

Discretionary powers

6.114 The Allocations Policy cannot cover every eventuality and in special cases where there are exceptional needs the Head of Housing has discretionary power to award additional priority and approve offers of housing, sometimes outside of choice-based lettings.

Direct lettings

6.115 In limited circumstances the Council may allocate properties directly as set out below:

• Special circumstances e.g. if the Public Protection Panel recommends that a tenant or home seeker with high priority should be excluded from bidding. The Council will make one reasonable offer and if refused the applicant will lose priority.
• Homeless households in Band C who have failed to exercise choice through the bidding process within the timescale. The Council will make one reasonable offer of accommodation before duty is discharged. The Council will ensure that any offer is suitable in accordance with Section 210 (opens in new tab) of the Housing Act 1996
• Tenants who have highly specific requirements or who have failed to bid successfully will be made a direct offer. If refused Housing Management will review.
• Tenants who need to be temporarily decanted will be offered a temporary property. If the offer is refused Housing Management will review and/or begin proceedings for possession.
• Tenants who need a permanent decant and fail to bid successfully within the timescale will be made one reasonable offer. If refused Housing Management will review and/or begin proceedings for possession.
• Existing tenants of Council sheltered accommodation wishing to transfer within a sheltered scheme may be offered a vacant property by direct let at Housing Management discretion.
• Non-statutory successors will be made one direct offer. If refused Housing Management will begin proceedings for possession.
• Under-occupiers who have succeeded to a tenancy will be made one direct offer. If refused Housing Management will review and/or begin proceedings for possession.

Refusals following direct lettings

6.116 In the above cases the Council will make one reasonable offer which, as far as possible, matches the size and type of property the applicant qualifies for and not in an area known to be unsafe for the household. The applicant must give their reasons for refusing. The property will not be held empty while the refusal is reviewed but will be let to another applicant.

Validation visits

6.117 A home visit will usually be made before an offer of accommodation is made. This is to ensure that the priority band awarded reflects the applicant’s circumstances. Any information that differs from what is held on file may result in a change of banding.

Transfer applications

6.118 Council tenants can apply to move to alternative Council and Housing Association owned property, and the priority awarded to their application will be based on an assessment of their housing needs.

6.119 Applications for transfer may be made jointly by separate tenants of the Council who wish to apply for housing together, on the condition that both tenancies will be relinquished if the Council makes an acceptable offer of a transfer to a third property.

6.120 Transfer applications will be subject to checks relating to the condition of the applicant’s property and their compliance with the conditions of their tenancy and occupancy. Tenants with Introductory Tenancies can register a transfer application but will not be considered for a move to alternative housing until their tenancy is made secure.

6.121 The Council will occasionally, in the best interests of managing social housing, maximize the number of lettings that can be achieved from an initial vacancy by giving transfers priority over other Housing Register applicants. This will be made clear in the advertisement for the property.

Property condition

6.122 Every Dover District Council transfer applicant will be subject to a pre-transfer inspection (PTI) carried out to ensure that their property is of a standard where it can be re-let without undue delay. This inspection will be undertaken by a Housing Officer from Housing Management and will cover both the inside and outside of the property, including the garden.

6.123 Council tenants will have their transfer application suspended should their home not meet the required standard, until such time as the standard has been met. In any circumstances where the property standard is such that an outright possession order would be awarded against the tenant, the application will be deemed ineligible and removed from the register.

6.124 If the inspection determines that the property meets the required standard, the tenant will be notified and no further inspections will be carried out before an offer is made, unless a period of more than six months has elapsed since the inspection. However, should any information be received that a property may have deteriorated, a further inspection may be carried out.

6.125 Should a property not meet the required standard, the applicant will be informed in writing as to what they need to do to put this right and advised of their right of appeal.

6.126 Tenants are required to contact the Council once they have dealt with any issues identified during the PTI, and a further visit will be carried out.

6.127 Once a property meets the required standard, the application will be reinstated to the appropriate band.

6.128 The above requirements may be waived where the transfer applicant needs to move because of:

• Domestic abuse
• Fear of violence.
• Where Band A is awarded for medical needs.
• Where the moving tenant is under-occupying their current home by 2 bedrooms or more and has been given Band B priority, is over 60 and also has medical or welfare grounds to move which do not enable them to address the outstanding issues identified in the PTI, for example decorating.

Tenancy conditions

6.129 Tenants who are in breach of their tenancy agreement, for example, rent arrears, condition of property, or unsocial behaviour, will only be considered when the Council is satisfied that the breaches have been remedied.

Tenant incentive scheme

6.130 To encourage Dover District Council tenants who are under-occupying family homes to move to smaller non-family housing, or if a tenant is occupying fully adapted, wheelchair accessible accommodation and no longer requires the use of these facilities, the Council operates an incentive scheme. To assist with removal costs and other expenses, an initial grant of £500 is paid upfront as soon as the tenancy to the new address has been signed. The balance of £500 plus a payment of £1000 per room given up is paid following the move.

6.131 This grant will only be payable to tenants who are occupying fully adapted homes or who are over the age of 55, and where the move is as a result of a successful bid to alternative Council or Housing Association property through the choice-based lettings scheme.

6.132 Any debt owed to Dover Council will be recovered from this grant.

6.133 More information on this scheme can be found by visiting the swapping your council home webpage on the DDC website.

Management transfers

6.134 The Council recognises that there may be exceptional circumstances where the only way a housing need can be resolved is through the use of discretion and to ensure the most efficient use of our available stock.

6.135 If a Council or Housing Association tenant has an urgent need for rehousing due to a confirmed risk to the personal safety of themselves or their household, or other exceptional factors, their landlord may agree a management transfer. This will only be agreed if there are no other options available or feasible

6.136 Examples of exceptional circumstances include, but are not limited to:

• Threat to life
• Emergency cases whose homes are damaged by fire, flood or other disaster may be provided with another tenancy if it is not possible to repair the existing home, or if any repair work will take such a long period of time that there will be serious disruption to family life.
• Households who, on police advice, must be moved immediately due to serious threats to one or more members of the household, or who continuing occupation would pose a threat to the community - support by police evidence.
• An applicant who has an exceptional need that is not covered in the Allocations Policy, for example, where child or public protection issues require rehousing or for severe domestic abuse where all other options to remain in the home have been considered – supported by Social Services and / or police evidence
• Tenants where their flexible tenancy will not be renewed because their circumstances have changed necessitating a move to smaller accommodation.

6.137 Management Transfers are proposed by the Landlord’s Housing Manager in relation to tenancy management in consultation with the Housing Options Manager, with the final decision made by the Head of Housing. Temporary accommodation may be used in an emergency situation until permanent accommodation can be sourced.

6.138 Because the circumstances are exceptional and rehousing considered urgent; the Management Transfer will have the following restrictions:

• Only one offer of suitable permanent rehousing will be made.
• This will be a direct offer to ensure that a household’s urgent needs are met as quickly as possible.
• The offer will be on a ‘like for like’ basis. This is based on property type and bedroom numbers with no account being taken of room sizes and facilities such as gardens.
• Areas of choice for rehousing cannot be considered, but the Management Transfer move will be away from the applicant’s current home. Area restrictions will only be considered if there are proven factors that pose a risk to personal safety, relevant to the reason for transfer.
• Other medical and social factors which would normally qualify the applicant for a Housing Register transfer will not be considered.
• A refusal of a direct offer will be considered by the Head of Housing and where appropriate, with Housing Management.

Right to move

6.139 In April 2015, the Government established a Right to Move for certain social tenants who need to move to take up a job or live closer to employment in another district of England.

6.140 The Council has agreed that 1% of its annual nominations will be used for applicants who qualify for the Right to Move. This will enable the Council to assist around 4 qualifying tenants each year.

Who qualifies for the Right to Move?

• You must live in England, and either be a secure or introductory tenant of a local authority or an assured tenant of a private registered provider (a housing association tenant).
• You must live outside of the Dover district.
• You must not be in breach of any tenancy conditions e.g. in rent arrears.
• You must be able to show that you need to move to the Dover district because failure to meet that need would cause hardship to someone within your household and you must need to move because either:

Do you need to move?

6.141 We must be satisfied that you need to move because failure to do so will cause hardship.

6.142 In making our assessment, we will take into account the following:

• the distance and/or time taken to travel between work and home
• the availability and affordability of transport, taking into account the level of earnings
• the nature of the work and whether similar opportunities are available closer to home
• other personal factors such as medical conditions and childcare, which would be affected if the tenant could not move
• the length of the work contract
• whether failure would result in the loss of an opportunity to improve your employment circumstances or prospects, for example by taking up a better job, a promotion, or an apprenticeship

What type of work qualifies?

6.143 A need to move connected with short term and marginal work, work that is ancillary to work in another district and voluntary work does not qualify.

6.144 In deciding whether work is short term, the Council will take into account whether the work is regular or intermittent. This is likely to be particularly relevant in the case of the self-employed.

6.145 The Council will also take into account the period of employment and whether or not work was intended to be short term or long term at the outset. A contract of employment that was intended to last for less than 12 months may be considered to be short term.

6.146 In deciding whether work is marginal, the Council will take into account the number of hours worked and the level of earnings. Employment of less than 16 hours a week may be considered to be marginal in nature.

6.147 Where the tenant works occasionally in the Dover district but their main place of work is in a different district, the work is considered to be ancillary and does not qualify.

6.148 Work that is subject to an apprenticeship agreement in the form of an employment contract, does qualify.

Information required in support of an application for the Right to Move

6.149 To apply for re-housing under the Right to Move, you should complete an application form for housing in the Dover district and also complete a Right to Move – Supporting Statement form. When submitting your application and statement, you should also provide the following:

• A copy of your contract of employment
• Wage/salary slips for six months (or for the full period of employment where this is less) or in the absence of wage slips, copies of bank statements (for example in the case of zero hours contracts) if you are already working in the district
• A formal offer of a job letter and copy of your written acceptance of the offer if you are seeking to move in order to work here
• Contact details for your employer must also be provided as we will seek verification of your situation.

Housing for older people

Sheltered housing/independent living schemes

6.150 Sheltered housing is housing designed for persons over 60 with housing related support needs. Sheltered housing will normally only be available to persons requiring the level of support offered in this type of accommodation. Eligible persons may be subject to an assessment by the landlord to establish their support needs and suitability for living in the scheme selected.

6.151 Applicants over 60 years of age will be considered as well as applicants with a disability who require the accommodation and support provided within a sheltered scheme. In the latter case, some landlords will accept persons over 55 years of age.

6.152 Priority for allocations to ground floor sheltered and elderly persons accommodation will be given to current tenants on the housing register, living on an upper floor, within the same block, who have a medical/mobility need for ground floor accommodation. Allocations made thereafter will be based on individual need. This will then free up a property for another applicant via CBL.

6.153 If the assessment indicates that the person requires a higher level of support than can be provided by sheltered housing, they will be advised that sheltered housing would not be appropriate and referred to Adult Care Services.

Extra care housing

6.154 Extra care is housing for older people where additional support and social care services are provided in accordance with the assessed need. Extra Care housing is intended to enable older people to live as independently as possible for as long as possible and improve the quality of life and choice that older people can expect as they become less able.

6.155 Extra care housing will be advertised through Kent Homechoice but a dedicated allocation panel, consisting of representatives from the Council, Social Services and the housing provider, will make allocations. Allocations through this panel will be based on an assessment of the level of support and care required by the applicant.

General information

Right to a review

6.156 Applicants have the right to ask for a review of any decision made under the terms of this policy with which they do not agree.

6.157 Requests can be on the basis that our decision has not considered, or is not based on all of the facts, is legally wrong, irrational or unreasonable.

6.158 Requests can be made by a representative on behalf of an applicant.

6.159 Please note that only information that has already been supplied can be reviewed. If an application has been correctly assessed but the applicant failed to supply the requested or appropriate information at the point of application, they are not entitled to have their application reviewed. They will instead be asked to submit a new application, which gives a clear account of their current situation.

6.160 If an applicant is eligible for inclusion onto the housing register by virtue of this new application, priority will begin from the date that all the correct information is received. An application will not be backdated.

6.161 A request for a review must be made to the Housing Options Manager within 21 days of being notified of the decision. From the date of receipt of the review the Council has a maximum of 8 weeks to respond. If the review is likely to take longer the applicant will be notified of the amended response time.

6.162 A senior member of staff, who was not originally involved in the decision, will carry out the review.

6.163 The Council’s decision on the review will be final, and the applicant will not be entitled to a further review of that decision.

6.164 Reviews of decision requested under Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab) (as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002) are outside the scope of this allocations policy.

7.1 Monitoring is necessary to ensure that the Council delivers the aims and objectives set out in this Policy. The Housing Management team will be responsible for ensuring that staff are complying with this Policy, procedures and national guidance.

7.2 This Policy will be reviewed every three years, or in response to relevant changes in legislation, organisational structure, development of good practice, or to address operational issues.

7.3 Any minor amendments required will be made by Officers of the Council. Any significant amendments required as a result of changes to legislation or regulation, or Council operations, will be approved by the Council’s cabinet. Where significant changes are required, relevant Officers and teams will be consulted before these are implemented.

8.1 The Council’s definition of a complaint is:

“An expression of dissatisfaction, however made, about the standard of service, actions or lack of action by the organisation, its own staff, or those acting on its behalf, affecting an individual resident or a group of residents.”

8.2 If an applicant is dissatisfied with any aspect of the way in which their application for housing is dealt with, other than one for which a review can be requested, they should first contact the Council requesting information about what matters were taken into account, before making a formal complaint.

8.3 The Council takes complaints made about any service it provides, officers who work for the Council or contractors who provide our services, seriously. Our Complaints Policy sets out how a resident can make a complaint about a service they have received, a Council officer or contractor. More information can be found on our website by visiting our complaints webpage. All complaints received will be dealt with in accordance with our Complaints and Policy Procedure (opens in new tab).

8.4 The Local Government Ombudsman investigates complaints of injustice and unfairness resulting from maladministration by local authorities and other organisations. They can be asked to investigate complaints about most Council matters, including housing. A complaint can be sent to the Local Government Ombudsman by completing a complaint form found on their website. Alternatively, you can make your complaint in writing, however it may take longer for them to get back to you. You can find out more by visiting their webpage.

9.1 DDC is committed to promoting equality of opportunity and to eliminating unlawful discrimination on the grounds of race, age, disability, gender, sexual orientation, religion, belief, financial status, and any other difference that can lead to discrimination or unfair treatment considering the principles of the Equality Act 2010. Please see our Equality Policy (opens in new tab) for more details.

9.2 The various application forms referred to in this policy can be made available in several different languages. We can also arrange a translation service for people who visit the Council Offices. Applicants requiring assistance in completing forms should contact our Housing Needs Team.

9.3 An Equality Impact Assessment (EIA) was conducted for this policy in accordance with our Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) when carrying out our duties (s149 of Equality Act 2010).

10.1 We process personal data in compliance with data protection legislation including the Data Protection Act 2018 & General Data Protection Regulation 2016. All processing of personal data will be done in line with the data protection principles and where appropriate the necessary exemption applied.

10.2 Full details of how we store and use personal information about our residents can be found on our website and in our privacy statement at www.dover.gov.uk/privacy (opens in new tab). This will also contain contact information if you have any questions or require assistance from the data protection/information governance team.

Information sharing

10.3 Personal data can be shared provided the person has given informed consent and the sharing is for the purposes for which consent is given. Informed consent means that the person has the capacity to give consent, is aware of what information is to be shared, whom it is to be shared with and what it is to be used for.

10.4 Personal information is only disclosed to other parties with the person’s consent or in exceptional circumstances where disclosure without consent is permitted. These reasons are:

• Where there are overriding legal, social or public interest considerations, for example there is a risk of serious harm to the person themselves or to others if the information is not disclosed.
• Where the information is required by a local authority department or external auditors to carry out a statutory function
• Where the information is required as part of a criminal investigation.

10.5 People have the right to see and confirm the accuracy of any information held electronically about them. On receipt of a written request, local authorities have 1 calendar month to provide details to a person of any personal information held. Third party documents will require the prior consent of the third party. If the person considers the personal information, they have received is inaccurate, they may request that it is amended or removed from their records. If this is accepted by the Council, appropriate action will be taken to amend the records. In the event of a disagreement, the information will remain, and the person’s comments will be recorded on file.

10.6 Disclosure of information may be denied by the local authority in the following circumstances:

• The information could prejudice criminal proceedings.
• Legal professional privilege could be claimed.
• A care professional is of the opinion that disclosure could result in a risk of serious harm to the person or others as a result of disclosure.

An applicant must be able to demonstrate a local connection, as defined in Part VII of the Housing Act 1996 at the time an application for accommodation is made. For example, they:

• Have lived six months out of the last 12 months in the district out of choice
• Have lived three years out of the last five years in the district out of choice
• Have permanent employment (not casual), for sixteen hours or more per week within the district
• Have close relatives (such as parents, children, brothers or sisters) living in the district and who have lived in the district for at least five years and with whom the applicant has a meaningful and on-going relationship
• Have special circumstances which the Council considers give rise to a local connection eg grew up in the area but moved away and no longer meet the normal residence conditions, or need to move to the district for urgent social reasons such as to receive/give support or to escape violence

This is not a definitive list, and we may be able to exercise discretion under this heading.

In addition to the above, the following relevant persons must be treated as having a local connection:

• A person who has been a victim of domestic abuse carried out by another person, who needs to move for reasons connected with that abuse, including from accommodation initially occupied on a temporary basis, or

• An eligible child, a relevant child or a former relevant child.

The Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Armed Forces Personnel) (England) Regulations 2012 (opens in new tab) require that local housing authorities do not use local connection (within the meaning of section 199 of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab)) as a criterion in deciding whether the following classes of persons qualify for an allocation of housing accommodation:

• Persons who are serving in the regular forces or have previously served.
• Bereaved spouses or civil partners of those serving in the regular forces where their spouse or partner’s death is attributable (wholly or partly) to their service and the bereaved spouse or civil partner’s entitlement to reside in Ministry of Defence accommodation then ceases
• Seriously injured, ill or disabled reservists (or former reservists) whose injury, illness or disability is attributable (wholly or partly) to their service

‘Regular forces’ and ‘reserve forces’ have the meanings given by section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006(b) (opens in new tab)

Local connection will not be applied to existing social tenants seeking to transfer into the area from another local authority district in England who:

• Have reasonable preference under s.166A(3)(e) (opens in new tab) because of a need to move to the local authority’s district to avoid hardship, and
• Need to move because the tenant works in the district, or
• Need to move to take up an offer of work

For more information regarding the Government’s Right to Move regulations see 6.139.

Please send the following proofs that apply to you. We need proof for every member of your household.

The following list shows the ONLY items that we will accept.

1. Proof of identity

For each named applicant photographic identification, such as:

• a valid passport
• photo driving licence

2. Proof of address– provide 2 from the following list

• Recent utility bill eg Gas, Electric, Water
• Council Tax bill
• Bank statement from the last month
• Tenancy agreement
• Rent card/book
• Entry on Electoral Register
• Driving Licence

3. Proof of income

• Salary/wage slips for the past three months
• Proof of any income related benefits recieved, for example Universal Credit
• Statements from all bank and savings accounts for the same three months as for proof of employment and benefits

4. If you have children living with you

• Birth certificate for each child, and
• Proof of receipt of child benefit or child tax credits

5. If you have access to children that do not live with you full time

• Residence Order if available,

OR

• A letter from the child’s full-time carer detailing the access arrangements, including the frequency of visits, the length of time they have been in place, and any future arrangements.

6. If you own, or have ever owned, a property

• Current mortgage statement and recent valuation of the property
• Confirmation of the amount received from the sale or transfer of the property

7. EEA Nationals

EEA nationals who were resident in the UK prior to 31 December 2020 and whose rights are preserved in Part 2 of the Withdrawal Agreement must provide the following:

• Valid passport for each household member
• Evidence of Settled or Pre-Settled Status granted through the EU Settlement Scheme

Households with Pre-Settled Status, Frontier Workers and those who have applied to the EU Settlement Scheme and are awaiting a reply from the Home Office, must provide evidence that they have a retained qualifying EU right to reside in the UK. This will include evidence that they are economically active including recent payslips, contract of employment, P60, P45 and self-employed accounts

8. Applicants subject to immigration control

• Valid passport for each household member
• Home Office documentation demonstrating your immigration status in the UK and that of all household members. Such documentation includes:

To prove and share your immigration status, please use the online facilities on the Government’s webpage View and prove your immigration status (opens in new tab).

If you do not have a UK Visas and Immigration share code, you can obtain one by reading through Government guidance and completing the online form (opens in new tab).

9. No fixed abode

If you have no fixed address please provide either a contact address and a letter from the person at that address giving their consent for correspondence to be sent there, or an email address.

If you are unable to provide any of the above information, please contact the Housing Options team 01304 872265.

Section 167 (2A) of the Housing Act 1996 (opens in new tab), allows the Council to give less priority to an applicant who has financial resources available to them to meet their housing need. In assessing whether the applicant has sufficient income the Council will have regard to the Strategic Housing Market Assessments Practice Guidance version 2 (opens in new tab) (SHMA) regarding the test of affordability to be used in respect of SHMAs. This stated that:

“A household can be considered to afford to buy a home if it costs 3.5 times the gross household income for a household earner or 2.9 times the gross household income for dual income households…a household can be considered to afford market house renting in cases where the rent payable was up to 25% of their gross household income”.

The aforementioned income multipliers will be used in conjunction with current data on median private sector rentals in Dover and entry level house prices to help determine whether a household can reasonably be expected to meet their need in the private market.

The following payments will not be included as income for the purposes of the financial assessment:

• Personal Independence Payments (PIP)
• Attendance allowance and any benefit treated as attendance allowance
• Armed Forces Independence Payment
• War pensioner’s mobility supplement
• Payments in compensation for non-receipt of the above

Please note that this does not apply to transfer applications form existing Secure Tenants of a Council or Assured Tenants of Private Registered Providers or leaseholder where the Council is buying back the property as part of a decant programme.

Currently, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) research shows the following results:

Table 1: Market renting (opens in new tab)

Information correct as of June 2025

Table 2: Market Purchase (opens in new tab)

Information correct as of May 2025

The above tables suggest that where a household appears to have sufficient income to purchase a property, but is unable to obtain a mortgage, they would have sufficient income to rent privately. Such households may also benefit from low-cost home ownership products.

The tables are illustrative and for guidance purposes. The Council recognises that market rentals and sales prices vary across the district and will fluctuate over time. It also recognises that there may be special reasons why a household needs to live in a particular area or why they incur exceptionally high levels of expenditure which makes market housing unaffordable.

Assets

Where an applicant has financial assets, such as a property or savings, these assets will also be considered as part of the financial assessment.

Applications from households, where the value of their assets equates to at least 12 months rental of a suitable property, will normally be placed in Band D or E.

Again, the Council accepts that there may be special circumstances where the strict application of this rule would be unreasonable or impractical. Consequently, when assessing financial resources, the Council will judge each case on its own merits. However, there is also responsibility on applicants to provide sufficient financial evidence which reasonably demonstrates that they cannot afford market housing.

• People who need to move to a particular locality in the district of the authority, where failure to meet that need would cause hardship (to themselves or to others)

The local authority may award “additional preference” to particular individuals, provided that they fall within one or more of the above groups and have “urgent housing needs”. The authority may take into account a wide range of actions when considering whether to give an individual “additional preference” or whether to give a lesser priority, but it must be able to explain the reasons for the decision.

The Allocation of Housing (Qualification Criteria for Armed Forces Personnel) (England) Regulations 2012 (opens in new tab) require that additional preference be given to a person who:

• Is serving in the regular forces and is suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which is attributable (wholly or partly) to the person’s service
• Formerly served in the regular forces
• Has recently ceased, or will cease to be entitled, to reside in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence following the death of that person’s spouse or civil partner who has served in the regular forces and whose death was attributable (wholly or partly) to that service
• Is serving or has served in the reserve forces and is suffering from a serious injury, illness or disability which is attributable (wholly or partly) to the person’s service

‘Regular forces’ and ‘reserve forces’ have the meanings given by section 374 of the Armed Forces Act 2006(a) (opens in new tab).

Medical or welfare priority is awarded where the current housing is adversely affecting the health or wellbeing of an applicant, or member of their household, and whereby a move would positively improve their health or wellbeing. Below are examples of where priority would be awarded.

When considering whether a household is suffering from overcrowding, the Council will take into account both the number of bedrooms and number of bedspaces available to the household.

Kitchens and living rooms are not bedrooms for the purpose of the assessment. The intended function of the room will be considered rather than its current use, although for example in the case of a dwelling that has two separate reasonable sized living/dining rooms, it may be that one of these rooms will be considered as bedroom accommodation, as long as there remains sufficient living space for the household.

For the purposes of this assessment the Council considers that for the type of household shown below the following bedrooms will be required:

• a person living together with another as husband and wife (whether that other person is of the same sex or the opposite sex) would be entitled to a bedroom with two bedspaces.
• a person aged 16 years or more would be entitled to a bedroom with one bedspace.
• two persons of the same sex aged under 16 years would be entitled to a bedroom with two bedspaces.
• two persons of opposite sex aged less than 10 years would be entitled to a bedroom with two bedspaces.
• two persons of opposite sexes where one child is aged 10 or over would be entitled to a bedroom with one bedspace each.
• a person aged under 16 years in any case where he or she cannot be paired with another occupier of the dwelling so as to fall within (c), (d) or (e) above would be entitled to a bedroom with one bedspace.

Bedspaces refers to the number of beds that can reasonably be accommodated in each room.

When considering how many bedspaces a room is considered as containing, the Council will have regard to statutory or other guidance to determine the number of bedspaces available.

Guide to property size

The Council reserve the right to determine the size of housing accommodation according to family size and housing need in view of the shortage of social housing in the district. The number of homes that become empty each year is far less than the number of applications the Council receive.

For this reason, the following is a guide to the type of property the Council will consider suitable:

Because of the limited stock of larger homes, families requiring four bedrooms or more may be able to bid on three-bedroom properties however this will be assessed on a case-by-case basis.

Larger accommodation than specified in this guide may be considered in exceptional circumstances in accordance with current Housing Benefit regulations or any such regulations that may be introduced.

An unborn baby expected within 8 weeks is counted as a child for the purposes of assessing the size of accommodation however priority won’t be reassessed until we have been notified of the birth.

Applicants with an assessed medical need will be considered for ground floor flats or bungalows, provided the properties are suitable for households with reduced mobility.

The Council may exercise flexibility where tenants occupying large properties wish to move to smaller accommodation in order to make best use of its housing stock.

Q. How are homes advertised?

A. Every day we will advertise all the available empty properties on the Kent Homechoice website www.kenthomechoice.org.uk (opens in new tab). The advert will tell you all about the property, for example how many bedrooms, what the rent is, who the landlord is and if any restrictions apply.

You can make bids online at www.kenthomechoice.org.uk (opens in new tab)

Every bid you make is registered along with your details from the Housing Register. The information is used to create a shortlist of applications for the property in order of priority on the Housing Register.

Q.  What type of home can I bid for?

A. You can bid for any property you are interested in and meets your housing needs.

We will normally advertise property based on the following criteria:

• Property size - the advert includes how many bedrooms the property has and a minimum/maximum number of people in the household that can apply.
• Adapted properties may be reserved for people with a specific requirement or need.
• Ground floor accommodation may be offered only to those people who have an agreed need for such properties.
• Sheltered housing is only available for people who meet the age requirements.

Q.  What happens if I need help completing the application form, finding available properties or making a bid?

A. We will make appropriate modifications to enable all applicants to access the Housing Register without unlawful discrimination. You may nominate a friend, relative or advocacy worker from an appropriate agency to apply on your behalf. Please contact us to make the necessary arrangements or for a member of staff to act as an advocate. make?

Q.  How many bids can I make?

A. You are allowed unlimited bids. Each property advertised will be open for bidding for a minimum of five days. Each advert will show the ‘Bidding Closes’ date and you will have until the end of this date to bid for the home.

Q.  Once I’ve made a bid can I change my mind?

A. Yes - you can change or withdraw your bid if you want to, and you can also choose to refuse any offer we may make. You are not penalised for this and can bid again as soon as you are ready.

Q.  How do I know if my bid is successful?

A. A Housing Officer will contact you to arrange for you to view the property as soon as possible. Once you have seen it, you must decide within 24 hours whether or not to take the property. We will not write to you if your bid is unsuccessful, but you can check how many bids each property got and which band the successful bidder was in, on the website www.kenthomechoice.org.uk (opens in new tab). This information will give you an indication of how long you might have to wait.

Q.  I am homeless - can I still choose a home through Kent Homechoice?

A. Yes, your application will be assessed according to your individual circumstances.

Q.  Can I still bid if I am in rent arrears? I still bid if I am in rent arrears?

A. You can bid for properties you are eligible for, but we will not normally make an offer of accommodation to a transfer applicant in rent arrears. If you want to move, it is important that you keep your rent payments up to date.

Q.  What happens if there are no bids for an available property?

A. The property may be re-advertised.

Q.  Can I apply for a property bigger than my needs?

A. No, we cannot offer properties that are bigger than an applicant’s needs.

Q.  Can I view a property before deciding whether to make a bid?

A. No. You will be able to view the property if a successful offer has been made.

Q.  What happens if I don’t make any bids?

A. It will be up to you to actively try and find a home you want. The Council will not approach you with an offer.

Q.  I have five children; can I apply for any three bedroomed properties?

A. There may be restrictions on the size of household that may apply for properties, such as a limit on the number of children that may occupy a particular property, but this will be clearly stated in the advert.