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Transfers for council tenants

How to apply for a transfer, moving if you have rent arrears, what to do if you need to move for medical reasons and what you need to remember when moving to another council home.

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How do I move to a different council home?

There are many reasons you may need to move to a new home and there are several options available to you:

Applying for a transfer to a different council home

If you are already a council tenant and have lived in your current home at least six months, you can apply to transfer to another property.

You will be placed in a priority band on a waiting list until a suitable property becomes available. Property will be allocated in line with our council housing allocation policy.

You can apply for a transfer to a different council home by completing a Transfer Application Form. You can get a form via phone or email:

Tel: (01482) 396301 or

Email: housing.services@eastriding.gov.uk

Please note: you will need your national insurance number to be able to complete the form.

Sheltered and supported accommodation

If you wish to move to sheltered or supported accommodation (that is linked to the warden service) you should apply for a transfer to a different council home. In this form, you should include that you need supported accommodation as a reason for applying. We will assess your transfer application and if you qualify, we'll send you a sheltered and supported accommodation form for you to complete and return to us.

Please note: you will need your National Insurance number to be able to complete the form.

The following PDF document provides information on which type of property we have in which locations:

Sheltered and supported housing local lettings policy (pdf 84kb)

Moving due to medical or health reasons

If you need to move house for medical reasons you should apply for a transfer to a different council home. In this form, you should include medical or health reason as a reason for applying. We will assess your transfer application and if you qualify, we'll send you a medical priority form for you to complete and return to us. Our disability resource team will then grant priority for a specific type of accommodation such as the ground floor if you meet the criteria. They cannot specify the area or proximity to facilities.

Moving due to medical or health reasons

Mutual exchange

Mutual exchange is where one tenant swaps homes with another tenant, with our approval. The property should be suitable for your needs. Both tenants move on the same agreed date so that neither property is left empty. You may be able to exchange with a council or housing association tenant within or outside of the East Riding.

Find out more about mutual exchange.

Your ‘Right to Move’ to another area

If you need to move to another area to be nearer to your employment or to take up an offer of employment, and would suffer hardship if you were not able to move, you may be eligible to move to another local authority's area under the 'Right to Move' scheme.

To be eligible you must for the scheme you should:

  • be a council or housing association tenant
  • have either employment or an offer of employment in the area you wish to move to, and
  • be at risk of suffering hardship if you were not able to move.

You should approach the local authority for the area that you wish to move to, to find out how to apply.

What happens after I have submitted a transfer application?

Once you have submitted a transfer form, we will consider your application and allocate you to a housing waiting list band. We aim to respond to you by post within 10 working days to confirm the band you have been allocated. If you have told us about a need for sheltered or supported housing, or that you need to move due to medical or health reasons, we may ask you to complete an additional form.

Once a suitable property becomes available we will contact you.

Please note: property is allocated in accordance with our council housing allocation policy. When a property becomes empty, it is allocated to the applicant in the highest band (i.e. with the most housing need) and who has been in that band the longest, where the property is suitable for them in terms of size, type, location, and facilities.

I think I’ve been placed in the wrong band, what should I do?

If you believe you have been placed in the wrong band, in accordance with our council housing allocation policy, you have the right to appeal in writing within 21 days of the decision. You must state the reasons why your band is incorrect.

Appeals should be sent to:

East Riding of Yorkshire Council
Housing Services
County Hall
Cross Street
Beverley
HU17 9BA

or

Email: housing.services@eastriding.gov.uk

How long will it take to get a transfer?

Many tenants ask how long it will take to get a transfer but this, unfortunately, is impossible to predict, as we don’t know how many properties are going to become vacant, and people are constantly joining and leaving the waiting list.

Probably the most helpful property allocation information that we can give you is about property allocations (by area and property type) within the last calendar month. This tells you how long the applicant who was allocated the property had been in their waiting list band and which band they were in. The following PDF gives our latest property allocation information.

Council Home Allocation Information (pdf 239kb)

I have rent arrears, can I move to a different council home?

If you have rent arrears you can still apply for a transfer, but we would not normally consider you for rehousing until the arrears have been paid in full and your rent account had been kept paid up-to-date for 12 months.

You can still apply for a mutual exchange if you have rent arrears, but it will be a condition that they must be paid in full before the exchange can go ahead. If you have been served with a notice of seeking possession because of rent arrears consent to exchange can be refused.

I’m a disabled pensioner and an East Riding council tenant, can I get any help to move to a more suitable property?

If you are a pensioner or disabled, and an East Riding council tenant we can help you look at the options for moving to more suitable accommodation. We can provide practical help when you move, and if you are in receipt of a means-tested benefit we can provide financial help towards the costs of moving.

We can:

  • discuss your circumstances and your options for moving
  • obtain quotes for packing and moving your furniture and possessions
  • arrange disconnection and reconnection of kitchen appliances, such as washing machine or cooker
  • arrange disconnection and reconnection of telephone and/or internet services
  • arrange for medical equipment to be moved
  • make arrangements for carpets to be lifted and refitted
  • and refer you to other supporting agencies that can offer services to help you.

Financial help

If you move out of an East Riding council house into a flat or bungalow and are in receipt of a means-tested benefit, we may be able to provide financial help of up to £2,000 towards the costs of moving. Subject to approval, we can also arrange to carry out security works to your new home (such as outside lighting or security bolts to doors) to the value of £500.

Find out more

If you would like to find out more about our Removal Assistance Scheme please contact:

Email: removals.assistance@eastriding.gov.uk

Tel: (01482) 396301

I’m about to move to another council home, what do I need to remember?

Before you transfer to your new council home you should:

  • pay your rent up to the Monday on which the tenancy ends, and any arrears from previous tenancies
  • complete all repairs that are your responsibility. We will recharge you for the cost of any such repairs if we have to do them after your tenancy has ended
  • if you have made any unauthorised improvements or alterations to the property you must put the property back the way it was before they were carried out – we will recharge you for the cost of works required to reinstate the property
  • repair any damage to our fixtures and fittings – we will recharge you the cost of any works to repair damage
  • tell our housing benefit section, if you receive housing benefit
  • check if you are due any compensation for improvements or alterations you have made to your current home. If you are a secure lifetime council tenant, and provided you got permission for improvements or alterations and carried them out satisfactorily you can request a cash payment when you end your tenancy if you have carried out certain types of works. If you have a secure flexible council tenancy you are not entitled to compensation for improvements
  • complete a termination of garage tenancy form if you rent a council garage. This is a separate tenancy, and if you no longer wish to continue renting it you need to let us know.

Council garage tenancy termination form (pdf 65kb)

When you move out (or at the latest by 12 noon, on the Monday on which your tenancy ends) you must return all house, garage, shed and outbuilding keys and any communal key fobs to the customer service centre specified in the notice acceptance letter. You must also:

  • remove all furniture, carpets, belongings and rubbish from the property, garden and outbuildings – we will recharge you for the cost of removing and disposing of any items left after the tenancy has ended
  • ensure that the property is clean
  • take meter readings and give them to your utility supplier
  • cancel any regular deliveries, such as milk or newspapers
  • redirect your mail. The post office website provides information on how to do this:
    The Post Office website - Mail redirection information

When you move out everyone must leave, including lodgers or sub-tenants. If you (they) don't, we will take action to evict them and you will be charged for the costs of doing so.

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