Bid for properties

To bid for properties you must be on our housing register. To start looking for a home through Hackney Choice, follow the these steps:

1. Call 02083562929 to join the register.

When you call, we will ask for your details including your name, address, phone number, and email address.

When the form is available you will be sent a link to your email address. To apply to join the housing register.

More information on housing advice and applications.

2. If you’re accepted onto the housing list, you will be sent a bidding reference number.

3. Bid for properties on the East London Lettings Company website using the bidding reference number.

Am I eligible to apply for housing?

There are some who may not apply for housing. The law says that we cannot allocate housing to people who are:

• subject to immigration control (asylum seekers, those who have been refused leave to remain in the UK, and have no recourse to public funds)

The law also allows the Council to exclude from housing:

• people whose behaviour has been unacceptable (anti-social behaviour or/and rent arrears)
• people who have no local connection to Hackney
• people who can afford private renting

We use a points system to decide how soon we can address your housing needs.

We calculate a points total based on your circumstances. Applications are then placed in five ‘priority bands’. This will help you to see how soon we can help you to find a home.

Detailed explanation about how we make our assessment.

You can view details of available properties on the East London Lettings Company site.

Properties are advertised every week from Friday morning (midnight on Thursday) to midnight on Monday.

Anyone with an active application on the housing register/transfer list is allowed to bid.

You can start bidding once your application form has been processed and you have received a letter confirming your registration number. Here is how to bid:

• go to the East London Lettings Company website
• click on ‘log in’ and enter your housing registration number and date of birth
• browse available properties
• check your queue position by clicking on “show queue position”
• to bid for a property, go to the property advert and click on ‘apply’
• check what you have bid on and change your bids anytime before midnight on Monday

Conditions

• you must have your registration number to bid
• you can bid for one property a week
• you can only bid for the number of bedrooms we have assessed you need (or one bedroom less if the landlord is Hackney)

Also, you may not be successful and should seek further advice if:

• you have rent arrears
• you have any record of anti social behaviour
• you don’t have a local connection to Hackney
• you have sufficient income to rent privately or purchase housing

Everyone on the housing waiting list. If you don’t attend viewing appointments or refuse an offer of a property that is considered as suitable for you.

We will write to you to find out why you are not bidding. Following this, we may make a direct offer of suitable accommodation.

If you have a valid reason for not attending and let us know a day before. We will take this into consideration.

However, if you fail to attend the viewings for  2 different properties, we will suspend your application for 12 months. You will not be able to bid during this time.

We will send you a letter telling you that your application has been suspended.

You will also be notified of your right to appeal the decision.

Yes.

This will not be a valid reason for missing a viewing or turning the property down.

You will have four days (Friday to Monday) in which to make a decision about accepting the property.

Your reason for refusing the offer of the accommodation will be considered. A decision will be made whether the accommodation is suitable for your needs.

If it is decided that the accommodation is unsuitable, then the offer of the accommodation will be withdrawn.

Your reason for refusing the offer will be considered. A decision will be made whether the accommodation is suitable for your needs.

If it is decided that the accommodation is suitable for you and it is the first offer of accommodation you have refused. You will be advised of the consequences of refusing a further offer of suitable accommodation.

It will still be considered as failure to view.

If you bid for a property and are invited to view, you must attend regardless of your position on the list. Unless you have a valid reason as to why you cannot attend.

This will give more chances to other applicants on the waiting list to successfully bid for properties. It will also enable you to focus your mind on the property that you really want.

If you fail to attend a viewing, or refuse an offer, the next offer will be enforced.

If you fail to attend a viewing, or refuse an offer, the next offer will be enforced.

Yes after you have failed to attend one viewing or not accepted the offer of a suitable accommodation. You will be notified in your next viewing letter of the possible consequences.

Any change(s) in circumstances will be taken into consideration.

We will investigate and check if other applicants invited to view the same property received their viewing letter. We will also check whether you have moved address and not notified us.

In such instances, you may be penalised. However if we have made an error with your address then this will be considered when making a decision.

We will contact you. The quickest and most reliable way is by phone, so please tell us if you change your number.

Sometimes all top bidders are shown around the property at the same time. This is called a ‘multiple viewing’. You will be advised of your position before the viewing.

The person at the top of the list will be offered the property first. If it is refused, it will be offered to the next person on the list.

Unfortunately, no – as there are hundreds of bids every week. We are only able to tell winning bidders about their bids.

However, you can view your final bidding position on the web page. You will need to log in and enter your housing registration number and date of birth.

You may not have been successful if you fall into the exclusion criteria.

Also, priority for ground floor or some first floor properties with lifts will be given to those assessed as needing them. If they are in the same band as the highest bidders.