Choice Based Lettings
Frequently asked questions.
- Choice based lettings and Locata FAQs
- Getting the best out of Locata choice based lettings
- Multiple Locata applications for housing
These pages provide information customers most ask about the Locata Choice Based Lettings Scheme – the scheme that replaced the points system, so that instead of waiting for the council to offer you somewhere to live, you can bid for properties that interest you.
Available properties are advertised each fortnight in the Locata magazine, called the freesheet. Register your interest by bidding for up to 3 advertised properties you wish to be considered for, every 2 weeks. The bidding period runs from Friday morning until the next Wednesday at 2pm.
» Download the bidding calendar here (pdf)
Who can bid for a property?
Those
- On the general housing register
- Registered for sheltered or wheelchair accessible accommodation
- In temporary accommodation
- Seeking to transfer from their current council home
How do I bid?
- Get a copy of the Locata magazine from:
145 King Street, Hammersmith, W6 9XY
Hammersmith Town Hall or Fulham Town Hall
Any Hammersmith & Fulham library, or
Download it at www.locata.org.uk (opens new window).
Copies of the magazine will be sent to you free of charge if you cannot collect a copy for health reasons or because you live in temporary accommodation outside the borough. For a small fee, copies can be mailed to you. - Choose up to 3 properties you are eligible for
- Enter your bids, either by telephone, coupon or on the internet.
To bid on the internet visit, www.locata.org.uk (opens new window).
Please contact us if you require any help. See contact details below.
Where you are offered an opportunity to view a property, we will contact you by post. We recommend you keep bidding if you have not heard from us.
How are bids for properties prioritised?
As there are more people seeking council housing than we have available, we must prioritise the bids we receive.
When you submit your application we will assess it, giving you one of four bands, A, B, C or D, and a priority date. The band reflects the urgency of your housing need; while the priority date is the date you made your application.
The higher the band, and within that band, the older the priority date, the more likely you are to be successful in your bid.
For example:
Where bidding for the same property,
Applicant X, B and A, priority date 18 July 2007, will receive an offer before
Applicant Y, B and C, priority date 20 March 2005.
Where bidding for the same property,
Applicant X, B and B, priority date 18 July 2007, will receive an offer before
Applicant Y, B and B, priority date 7 August 2007.
How much time do I have for bidding?
All bids must be received by the advertised deadline six days after publication. This date will always appear on the cover of the magazine. Bids will not be considered until after the deadline, and will then be placed in order according to their band and priority date.
How do I know if my bid has been successful?
We will write to you if you are going to be offered a chance to view the property you wanted. We will not contact you if you are not successful as too many people bid for each property to do so.
The applicant with the highest priority will be offered the property first, although up to three households may be invited to the viewing. If the household with the highest priority refuses the property, the property will then be offered to the household second in priority and so on until it is accepted. Only one property is offered to a household in any bidding period.
With Choice Based Lettings, you may in general refuse any property without it affecting your entitlement to be rehoused. However, if you are in temporary accommodation and have not bid successfully, after a certain period of time you may be made a direct offer. If you refuse that offer, and it is deemed suitable, it is likely the council will no longer have a duty to house you. You will then need to make your own arrangements. We will let you know if you are being made a direct offer.
What happens next?
After applying, you automatically receive a ‘starter pack’ to enable you to bid for properties. This tells you
- your Locata Identification umber
- the priority band you are in and
- your priority date.
What is the Locata Identification Number?
(LIN) - this is the personal number that you will need to use if you bid for a property.
Band - when your application is assessed, you will be placed in the band that represents your housing need at the time.
There are four bands; A to D. B and A will have the highest priority for rehousing.
Priority date - this will depend on the date you applied - or the date you entered a higher band if you move up. Your priority date will decide your position within the band, with the earliest dates being at the top.
Your starter pack includes a scheme user guide. This explains the priority bands and gives a step by step guide on how to bid. You will also receive the first free copy of Locata Home, which will include adverts for local properties, and advice on where you can obtain the magazine every fortnight.
You can also find the magazine and bid for properties on the internet site at www.locata.org.uk (opens new window).
You can be sent a Locata Home magazine regularly by post, with an annual fee of approximately £15 charged by Locata to cover postage.
Do I have to choose a property within a certain time?
If you are a Management Transfer, or are registered as homeless, you will be given a time limit to choose a property. During this time you will need to be actively bidding for properties. If you do not select a suitable property within a reasonable period, a property will be selected for you. This is known as a direct offer.
If you refuse this property the council may remove you from the housing register.
Is there a limit to the number of times I can bid?
You can bid for up to three properties from each issue of the magazine. However, we do ask that before making a bid you check that it is the correct bedroom size and you are eligible for the property.
Can I bid for council or housing association properties?
Yes. The council has a limited supply of properties and so we work closely with a number of housing associations who have accommodation within the borough. You can bid for either council or housing association property depending on what is available. Priority for housing association properties is given for those within the borough with applicants who have a local connection.
Can I choose to live outside this borough?
Yes. The choice based lettings scheme allows you to bid for a property within the West London Partnership. These properties are found on the cross borough page
in the Locata Home magazine.
Will I get the property I bid for?
Many people may bid for each property that is advertised so this does not mean that you are being offered a property.
Choice Based Lettings is intended to give applicants greater control over where they
live, but it does not mean there are more properties available. Only the highest priority applicants will be contacted to view the property. If you are not offered a property viewing, we will not be able to contact you.
You can check the successful bidder by looking at the Locata Home magazines or logging on to the feedback page of www.locata.org.uk (opens new window) which will tell you how many people bid for each property, as well as the band and priority date of the successful bidder.
What happens if my circumstances change?
You must let us know if there are any changes in your circumstances, which might affect your application. Common changes you must tell us about include:
- a change in your health, which is affected by your housing.
- someone in the household becoming pregnant.
- a member of your family currently living with you who is moving away.
When you tell us about a change that affects your application for rehousing we may ask for documents or information to confirm this. Your application will be put on hold until we receive this information and during this time you will be unable bid for any properties. Your application will be reassessed and may result in you moving to a different band. Your priority date may also change. We will write to you and tell you about changes to your application.
Getting the best out of the Locata choice based lettings scheme
The introduction of the Locata scheme in Hammersmith & Fulham has given you, the applicant, far greater choice in being rehoused than ever before.
We understand that applicants on the housing register, like everyone, have many preferences when it comes to choosing the type of property and area that they wish to be rehoused into. Just because you may have a need for social housing, does not mean that you should have no choice in the type of property that you are offered.
Through bidding for properties that we advertise in the fortnightly Locata HOME magazine, you can choose the properties you wish to be considered for. If you wish to be rehoused into your preferred home and area, it is possible that you may have to wait a very long time. This is because the more popular a property is, the more people will bid for it – especially applicants who have high priority.
In order to make the most of the scheme, you need to decide on your bidding strategy. Are you most interested in finding your ideal home, or is being rehoused as soon as possible your first priority?
In order to be rehoused as quickly as possible, you should try to bid for properties that you think you will have the most chance of being offered. The list below will give you an idea of the kinds of property that usually attract fewer bids:
- Studio or bedsit flats
- Properties on large estates
- Properties on high floors
- Properties with limited access (no lift)
- Properties in large blocks
You are not guaranteed to be offered properties such as those listed above; however, bidding for these kinds of properties will increase your chances of being rehoused.
It is also a good idea to look at the information contained in the feedback section of every Locata HOME magazine, which may give you an indication of how long it may take you to be rehoused.
Multiple Locata Applications - applying to more than one borough for housing
It possible to have more than one membership on the Locata scheme, by applying to other Locata partner organisations.
Can I register with another council who uses Locata?
Yes, you can. The law says that all local authorities must allow any eligible applicant to apply for housing. This means that you are able to apply to any of the other Locata partner boroughs, as well as Hammersmith & Fulham.
Can I register with a housing association that uses Locata?
Most housing associations operate ‘closed’ registers. This means that they only allow their own tenants to register with them. They are not required by law to allow any applicant to apply to their register. If you are a tenant of a housing association who is a partner in the Locata scheme, you should contact them to find out if you can apply for a transfer. Sometimes, your housing association may be able to award you additional priority on their own scheme.
If I apply to another Locata partner, will I have the same priority?
A lot of different things are taken into account when you are assessed for priority. Each Locata member prioritises applicants in slightly different ways. Just because you have a certain priority with one partner, does not mean that you will get that same priority with another. For example, you are more likely to be considered for rehousing from the register of the borough you are actually living in. Priority on the Locata scheme is not transferable.
If I have more than one membership, can I bid for more than three properties at a time?
No, you cannot. When you make more than one application, the Locata system links all your memberships together. This means that you can use any combination of your memberships to place bids for properties in each issue of the Locata HOME magazine, but only a maximum of three bids will be accepted (e.g. you can place two bids using your Hammersmith and Fulham membership and one bid using your Shepherds Bush Housing membership).
Can I have the Locata Home freesheet delivered by post?
Yes. If you are living in temporary accommodation provided by the council which is not in one of the Locata boroughs, we will pay for delivery. Also, if you have a disability or other reason why you are unable to go out to collect the freesheet, we will pay for delivery. If you live in the borough and have no special needs, but would prefer to receive your freesheet by post, we can arrange this, but you will be charged approximately £16 a year for the service.
Where can I find the Locata Home freesheet?
The freesheet will be available for collection from all area housing offices, the Community Support Centre, all Hammersmith and Fulham libraries and both Town Halls every second Friday.
Freesheets for customers in temporary accommodation?
If you are living in one of the other boroughs operating the scheme, you may collect their magazine from a distribution point in that borough. The Scheme User Guide has a list of all these addresses. If you have been placed in a borough outide the Locata area, we will post the magazine to you free of charge every two weeks. You should contact the Community Support Centre at 145 King Street, Hammersmith, London W6 9XY to arrange this.
Send us your question direct - we aim to respond within three working days. Email: Housing.Register@lbhf.gov.uk.
