When you apply to join the housing register, you will need to provide evidence as part of the process. For example, you may need to add a copy of your current rental agreement.
There will be opportunities to upload documents to support your application throughout the form.
To upload the documents to your application:
- click the upload button
- search for and select the document you want to upload
- click “open” to add the selected document to the form.
You can remove any documents you have uploaded by pressing the red x button.
The documents you upload are the evidence to support your application.
If we find that any of your details are incorrect we may:
- close your application
- take away any priority we have given it
- withdraw an offer for housing.
Advice on uploading documents
You can scan your documents using a scanner, or photograph them using your phone’s camera and covert the file to PDF. Please note that only PDF file type will be accepted.
Read our tips on how to use your phone to create PDFs of your documents. If you do not have access to a scanner or camera phone at home, you may be able to use a scanner at your local library.
Save the documents on the device that you will use to make your application.
Make sure you keep the originals of all your documents safe as these may need to be seen at a later date before an offer of accommodation can be made to you.
How to reduce the size of large documents
There is a total file size limit of 15MB. You will not be able to submit your application if your files exceed this limit. Here are some tips for reducing the size of your file.
PDF format
- Recreate the PDF using the “lowest file size” option available
- If you have images, save them with a resolution of 96 DPI (dots per inch)
- Remove all unnecessary images
JPG format
This file type is not accepted, please save them as PDF.
TIFF and PNG format
These file types are not accepted, please save them as PDF.
DOC and DOCX format
These file types are not accepted, please save them as PDF.
Creating electronic copies of your document
You do not need access to a scanner to get electronic copies of your documents. All you need is a smartphone or tablet with a camera.
There are free apps you can download that can turn photographs into a PDF such as Adobe Scan and Tapscanner.
Download:
- Adobe Scan - Google Play
- Adobe Scan - Apple App Store
- Tapscanner - Google Play
- Tapscanner - Apple App Store
There are two ways to use the apps:
- take photos of each page of the document, open the app, and follow the process to turn the photos into a PDF
- open the app and take the photos in the app, and follow the process to turn them into a PDF.
The second option is often easier.
Tips for getting the best results
1. If you can, choose a small file size rather than the highest quality option when saving files as PDFs.
2. Make sure the documents you add to your form are clear and easy to read.
To do this:
- wipe your lens before taking the photo
- make sure the whole page is visible in the picture and nothing is cut out.
3. In TapScanner, if your document has multiple pages:
- open the camera in the app
- then click “batch” to take photos of multiple pages in one go
Remember to make sure the pages are in the correct order.
4. Use the editing options in the app to crop the photo to the corners of the document pages. You can then check if the filter options make it easier to read.