Choice Based Lettings Cumbria

South Lakeland District Council has now agreed a new way to let homes in the district.  The new allocation policy can be viewed below. 

The new website went live on 12 April and you can now register online at www.cumbriachoice.org.uk

Properties will be advertised from 12 May 2011.

Features of Choice Based Lettings (CBL) are:

• Currently the customer has to register with each housing organisation and then wait to be made an offer.  Under choice based lettings customers will only need to complete one application form. Landlords will advertise their properties through the scheme and customers will then choose the homes for which they want to be considered.
• Where point based schemes are used they will be replaced with a banding system. Applicants will be placed in one of 5 bands according to their need for rehousing.  In most cases when an applicant from a higher band “bids” for a property they will have priority over an applicant from a lower band.
• Priority will still be given to those with a local connection. However 10% of properties will be made available to people to move across Local Authority areas.  South Lakeland is also putting in place a Local Lettings policy to help people who live in rural communities, where housing is in very short supply, to have first preference for any homes that do become available.

Although it will not increase the numbers of homes available, the Cumbria Scheme will provide a more transparent and accountable way of letting homes, and more importantly will give people more choice about where they would prefer to live.

Further information

Choice Based Lettings – Frequently Asked Questions

Cumbria Choice Allocation Policy

SLDC Local Lettings Policy for Council Houses

www.homegroup.org.uk/cumbriachoice