How do I find out more about the Lettings Service?
Our aim is to provide you with a helpful, and friendly lettings service, where you will get the information and advice you need to help you make the best choices in your search for housing. Please see Your Guide to Babergh’s Letting Service - Help With Housing (PDF, 169KB) booklet for further information.
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How does the point system work?
We use a points scheme to decide who should get accommodation. It works like this:
- Points are awarded for all the factors we use to assess your housing needs. These will include the condition of your home, the size of your family compared with the number of bedrooms you have, whether you share accommodation with others, whether your accommodation is unsuitable because of any social or medical problems you may have and whether you have a local connection in the District.
- Your points assessment will be the total of all the circumstances in your application, therefore it is very important that you complete your Register application fully.
- The more points you have the higher your priority for housing.
- The points scheme can look complicated at first, so please ask a Lettings Officer for advice if there is anything you are not sure about.
- We will always give you a written explanation of your points when you first apply and at any time that your points change.
Please see Your Guide to Babergh’s Letting Service - Help With Housing (PDF, 169KB)booklet for further information about how the points system works.
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What is the Common Housing Register?
The Common Housing Register is a partnership between Babergh District Council and Housing Associations providing homes in the district. When you make an application to join the Common Housing Register, if you wish, the following Housing Associations would automatically consider you for housing, depending on whether you are eligible for the particular type of housing they provide:
- Suffolk Heritage Housing Association
- Hastoe Housing Association
- Orwell Housing Association
- Orbit Housing Association
- St Matthew Housing
- Co-op Homes East Anglia
- Granta Housing Society
- Richmond Fellowship
- Suffolk Housing Society
For more information on this, see our Common Housing Register Guide (PDF, 218KB).
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How do I apply for housing?
See our Housing Register page to download an application form.
Once we receive your completed Common Housing Register Application Form, it will be assessed by our Lettings Team who will then write to let you know how many points you have on the register.
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How many vacancies have come up in the past?
Our Babergh Choices page will tell you:
- What type of social housing there is in the Babergh District
- Where the properties are
- The number of vacancies that occurred in the years 2002, 2003 and 2004
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How can I find out more information about Private Rented Accommodation?
Our Private Rented Accommodation page explains where to find accommodation with a private landlord. It also looks at some of the important things you need to know about renting.
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Our Rental Deposit Guarantee Scheme tries to help certain people to find accommodation with a private landlord.
The Scheme is simple a legal agreement that provides the private landlord with a "promise to pay" rather than a normal deposit, against uninsurable damage or loss caused by the tenant, equivalent to a figure not exceeding one month's rent. It does not cover rent arrears.
Successful applicants must allow us to collect £2.50 each week direct from their housing benefit. If we make a payment to a landlord we will use the money to cover our own loss. If the money held is less than this payment we will expect the applicant to pay the balance. However, if no damage is caused we will simply return this money when the tenancy comes to an end. If an applicant finds work and no longer qualifies for benefit we will still expect this sum to be paid, otherwise the agreement will be ended.
For further information, see our Rental Deposit Guarantee Scheme leaflet.
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Yes, you can appeal if your application has been refused or you have been told by the council that your name is being removed from the Common Housing Register.
You will need to complete the form which can be found inside the Right to Review (PDF, 366KB) leaflet.
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