Do You Know How Can You Get a Council House in Britain?
Those living In the UK who fail to afford to pay high house rent may apply for council homes. However, getting an allotment for such a house is very difficult. The purpose of such council housing in the UK is to offer affordable rent to families whose income is pretty low.
Unless and until you are advised by NowMedical which is one of the leading providers of housing medical advice in the UK, it is very difficult to get such housing.
In this post, we will share a few tips so that it can increase your chance of getting such a council house allotment.
Table of Contents
1. Check your eligibility first
The following are the eligibility criteria and hence you must ensure that you meet them:
- You are a UK citizen
- Living in the UK at least for last 3 years
- Your age is a minimum of 18 years.
2. Contact the council to get the specific application form
In the UK, each council will oversee its own housing. While in certain situations, it is necessary to give priority. You may submit your applications to more than one municipality, however, many councils offer preference to residents of the council’s own service area.
3. Apply to housing associations too
Similar to council housing, even housing associations are also run by certain private, nonprofit organizations instead of by any government body. Any number of housing associations may accept your application.
4. Provide correct info to the council or housing association
You must provide the correct information on your application while giving the following details.
- Income and benefits from your employment
- Your present health conditions including details of disabilities
- Savings and assets
- Previous and present living situation
- Employment history
- Documents for visas and immigration if you are a non-UK resident.
5. Know the factors that can increase your chance
Individual councils may use different criteria to decide who is offered priority on the waiting list.
A few criteria are:
- Worked in the UK armed forces
- You have already lived in that locality for a very long period
- You have a good tenancy record
- You are waiting for accommodation for a long period.
6. Check your status on the waiting list
If you have not heard from the council, get in touch with them once again to find out where you stand.
7. Inquire whether you are eligible for specific houses
For more information, periodically get in touch with the council whose waiting list you are on.
8. Decide immediately if offered
Once the municipality makes you an offer, you have a very limited time to accept it. Find out your deadline and inform the council of your choice at least a day before it. Remember, that once you reject a housing offer you lose priority on the waiting list.
The latest rental and tenancy agreements will ask the prospective applicants to furnish a guarantor for rent, mostly if they have no job, low-wage workers, or have a history of bad credit. The guarantor will guarantee that the landlord will not suffer any financial loss because of late payments.