Homes First Lettings

Getting Started              

To become a member of Homes First Lettings you must register as a home seeker or transfer applicant with either Lewes or Eastbourne Councils.

If you are not already a member, start by completing the Housing Options Assesment Tool.

Once you have set up your account you will be able to complete the housing application form through Homes First Lettings in the authority you wish to register with.

It may be that you might not be eligible to be on either councils housing register. You can obtain further information from the Lewes and Eastbourne Council's website.

 

Registration

When you have been accepted onto the housing register you will be advised of your registration number and account details.  You will receive a letter which will tell you the Band you are in (Band A, B or C), your registration date and the number of bedrooms you are eligible for.

You must keep the authority informed of any change in your circumstances – this means changes to your email, postal address, phone number, medical conditions, household size or anything else that affects your housing situation that would bring about a change. 

This is very important as it may result in a changing of your band or your eligibility for certain properties.  If you do not inform us of relevant changes in your circumstances then this could put you in a position where an offer of accommodation is made and then withdrawn due to not having the correct information on your application.

 

Property Match

You do not need to place interest or bids on properties as properties will not be advertised.

Properties will be matched and allocated to the most suitable applicants based on banding, registration date, mobility, bedroom need and area of preference.

 

Offers

All households will be considered for properties within the areas of preference they have chosen.  The applications will be recorded in priority order by band, local connection and time on the housing register.   In the case of rural properties we will allocate to the person who is highest on the shortlist, with a local connection to the village.  Even if your application has been waiting the longest you may not be offered a property if you have outstanding rent arrears or a history of anti-social behaviour.

If you are successful you will be contacted by the housing allocations team to discuss the property and then arrange a viewing.  If you do not attend the viewing, or make alternative arrangements, we will treat this as a refusal.   When you have viewed the property you will need to let us know by noon the next day if you are going to accept it.  If we do not hear from you within this timescale we will treat this as a refusal and the property will be offered to the next applicant.

Some landlords invite more than one applicant to view a property at the same time, which helps to speed up the lettings process.  The property is still always offered to the applicant with the highest priority who attends the viewing.

If you are made an offer of social housing you will not be considered for another property until you have made a decision to refuse the other offer.