Once you have made a bid the system will place you in a bidding queue according to your registration or effective date. This is important if more than one person applies for the same home.
After the closing date we will then carry out any outstanding eligibility checks, such as rent checks, household circumstance checks and reference checks.
If your name is at the top of the priority list you will normally be invited to view the property unless there are reasons why we are unable to do this, for example, you have rent arrears or the Council is taking legal action against you for breaching a tenancy condition. If we are unable to offer the property to the applicant at the top of the list we will move to the next applicant and so on.
If you decide to refuse the property it will be offered to the next person on the priority list. Refusing a property wastes time and money and if you are in a priority band, you may be moved to a lower band.
If you are offered a property you will not be short listed for other properties until you have decided to either accept or refuse the offer.
If you accept the property you will be advised when you can move in. You will also be given an appointment to come into one of our area offices to sign the tenancy agreement and collect the keys. You can view a copy of the current Tenancy Agreement here.
St Leger Homes of Doncaster has an agreed Property Standard which lets you know what you can expect in your new home if you are successful.
Refurnish is a community managed Doncaster based charity that collects, restores and sells furniture and electrical goods to low income households that would otherwise become damaging waste and be sent to landfill. Reusing these goods can help people to move out of poverty and achieve greater quality of life. During periods of economic uncertainty, provision of goods to those facing hardship is crucial. For more information please visit the Doncaster Refurnish website.
In order to improve the service we provide to our new tenants we are introducing a more effective way of ensuring they are accessing all benefits they are entitled to. New tenants will be asked to bring details of their finances so that a calculation can be done with the relevant forms completed at that time. Where new tenants are not entitled to any benefits the first weeks rent will be paid at sign up of the tenancy. This will enable the rent account to be set up without showing any arrears. Where benefit is due, a full claim form will be completed and submitted to the Housing Benefit section. If partial benefit is shown, the new tenant will be asked to pay the amount identified + £2 to allow for variance, until the benefit amount is confirmed.
Please be aware that from Monday 07 June 2010, introductory tenancies will come in to force. A fact sheet is avaliable for your information.
All new tenancies will be introductory tenancies unless you are already a secure council tenant or an assured tenant with a Housing Association. If this is the case, you will become a secure tenant with us.
Introductory tenancies will last for one year. At the end of the year the tenancy will become a secure tenancy. If the conditions of the introductory tenancy are broken, St Leger Homes will be able to take legal action which could result in losing your home. We can also apply for a notice to extend the introductory tenancy for a further six months.
You will receive details about introductory tenancies when you are offered a property.