How It Works

How to apply to join the housing register and to bid for homes with Hertsmere

Application

To apply for social housing in Hertsmere you need to complete an application form by clicking on the Register button at the top of the page.  You are required to send supporting documents with your application.

All applications must be made online.  The Council no longer produces paper application forms.

If you are having difficulty making an application or need assistance with accessing the service, please contact the Council on 020 8207 2277.

Assessment

Once your application and the supporting documents have been received, we will carry out an assessment of your circumstances and advise you if you are eligible to join the housing register.

If you are eligible and qualify to join the housing register, you will be informed of your priority band and given information on how to bid for properties. 

To see detailed information regarding the priority bands please click here to view the Allocations Policy.

We aim to assess applications within two weeks of receipt. This may sometimes take longer if we need to make more detailed enquiries.

Bidding

Once you have received confirmation of your application number and priority band, you will be able to start bidding on properties.   Bidding means that you are expressing an interest in a property and you will be added to the shortlist of the property you have bid on.  You may make a maximum of three bids at any one time.

If you bid on a property in error or change your mind, you may cancel the bid as long as bidding has not closed for that property.

If you are unable to place bids online, the Council can set up auto bidding for you. This means that bids will automatically be placed on any properties that we have agreed with you are suitable.

You can also set up property alerts to receive an email when a property that is suitable for you is advertised.  This way you will not miss any properties or the opportunity to bid.

You can also use computers located in the Council office reception area, to view properties and to place bids

There may be some properties advertised such as shared ownership homes or homes in the private rented sector that do not require bids.  If you are interested in these homes, you should contact the Council on 020 8207 2277.

Shortlists and Offers

Once bidding for a property has closed a shortlist of all those that have bid on the property will be produced.

Properties will normally be offered to the household with the highest banding; in cases where there are several people in the same band, priority is given to the applicant that has been in that band the longest. 

Before the property is offered, verification checks must be carried out to verify that a person’s circumstances have not changed and that they still qualify for an offer of accommodation.

If you have made a successful bid and your circumstances have been verified, you will receive an offer of accommodation from the landlord of the property.

Most applicants will be allowed to refuse two offers of accommodation; if a third offer is made and refused your application will be removed.

Households that are awarded the highest priority due to being homeless will only receive one offer of accommodation.

Feedback

Information can be found in the feedback section this contains useful information about lettings that have taken place and the number of bids each property has received.  It also tells you the band and priority date of the successful bidder.