Accessing Council Housing

• The Moray Council Allocations Policy
• Who can apply?
• What is the housing list?
• How do I apply?
• How do I fill in the form?
• Will I need to give you any other information?
• Our points system
• Medical assessment
• Are there any circumstances when you will not award points?
• How long will I have to wait before I am offered a house?
• What if I need special accommodation?
• What if I am homeless or at risk of homelessness?
• How long will I have to be on the housing list?
• What if I owe money?
• What if I receive a poor tenancy report from my landlord?
• How do you decide who to give properties to
• What happens if you offer me a property?
• What if I refuse an offer?
• Can I get help from housing associations?
• What is low-cost home ownership?
• Can I apply for a mutual exchange?
• What should I do if my circumstances change?
• Declaration
• What happens to all of the information that I give?
• What if I disagree with your decision?

We are the biggest local provider of social rented housing in Moray.  Our housing stock is well distributed throughout the area but there are concentrations in the main towns of Buckie, Elgin, Forres, Keith and Lossiemouth.  You can access more detailed information on stock locations and relets in our Guide to Housing Options in Moray.

The Moray Council Allocations Policy

Our allocations policy aims to tackle housing need in Moray. Where possible, we take account of what you would really like as a new home.  This policy helps us decide who we think is in most need of housing and how to make the best use of the housing we have available.

You can view our policy and the Allocations Policy and Points System Leaflet by clicking the relevant links, or pick up a copy free of charge, from your local Council Access Point.

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Who can apply?

Anyone over 16 can apply for one of our homes and we will place them on the housing list.  In line with our policy, we will assess everyone in a fair and consistent way and will treat everyone equally.

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What is the housing list?

The housing list includes the homeless priority list, the waiting list and the transfer list.  Anyone aged 16 years and over is entitled to go on the housing list. 

• The homeless priority list includes people who have been assessed as unintentionally homeless (they have become homeless through no fault of their own) and are in priority need.
• The waiting list includes people who do not currently rent from us but who would like a council property in Moray.
• The transfer list includes people who are already our tenants but who would like to transfer from their current home to another.

Quotas to guide the number of allocations made to each of the three lists are reviewed annually by the Communities Committee.  The current quotas agreed by the Committee on 30 August 2011 are as follows:

• Homeless priority 50% (+/-5%)
• Waiting 35% (+/-5%)
• Transfer 15% (+/-5%)

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How do I apply?

If you would like to apply for one of our properties, or if you are already one of our  tenants and would like to transfer to another property, please fill in an application form.  You can get an application form by:

• writing to us at Housing and Property, PO Box 6760, Elgin, IV30 9BX;
• phoning us on 0300 1234566; 
• emailing us on housing@moray.gov.uk;
• calling into your local Council Access Point; or
• downloading a  Housing Application Form here (16 pages, 313 KB)

For alternative formats (such as large print) or translation services visit our language translation page for more information.

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How do I fill in the form?

You should answer all the questions on the application form using CAPITAL letters and black ink. It is very important that you give us as much information as possible.  Please answer all the questions so that we can assess your application accurately and fairly.

Please make sure that you and anyone you are applying with (a joint applicant) have signed the declaration at the end of the application form.  If you do not fill in the form properly or do not sign it, we will have to return it to you.  This will mean that your assessment will take longer.  If you need help to fill in the form, please contact your local Council Access Point.

By law, we must take part in the National Fraud Initiative (NFI) data matching exercise.  Any information you give us on your housing application will be used for cross-system and cross-authority comparison for the prevention and detection of fraud.

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Will I need to give you any other information?

Confirming your pregnancy

If you, or anybody who will be living with you, are pregnant, you must tell us in the date the baby is due.  You should send us a copy of the certificate of pregnancy as soon as possible and a copy of the birth certificate when the baby is born.

Occasional overcrowding

If you need an extra bedroom because you have children who regularly stay with you overnight, we will ask you for proof (for example, a solicitor's letter or court papers).

Bedroom size

If you think that any of the rooms you use for sleeping are too small to allow two persons to share you should contact us on 0300 1234566.  We may need to visit your home to confirm this.

Areas you prefer

The form gives details of the areas in which we own housing, and asks you to say which of these areas you would consider living in.  If you will only consider living in particular areas, you should say this on your form. However, if you only want to live in one area or just a few, you may have to wait longer for a property to become available.

Our points system 

We award set levels of points for different types of housing circumstances (for example, overcrowding or lack of facilities).  After we have checked your form and made sure that we have all the information we need, we will work out the total points for your application, depending on your circumstances.  The number of points that we give your application  will decide your place on the housing list.  We may give you points for the following:

Your household is homeless

• Priority need and unintentionally homeless
  • We will put your application on the homeless priority list. This list is for high-priority cases and is not part of the points system
• No priority need
  • 100 points

Your home is too small for your needs

• For every bedroom you are short of
  • 100 points (or 50 points if you have children who do not live with you permanently, for example, they only stay with you a few nights a week)

Your home is too big for your needs

• For every extra bedroom you don't need (transfer applicants only)
  • 100 points
• For every extra bedroom you don't need (waiting list applicants only)
  • 50 points

You live in poor housing conditions

• The property is below an acceptable standard, for example:
  - has an outside toilet or shared toilet (this means that more than one household will be using a toilet);
  - has serious damage to the structure;
  - has severe rising or penetrating damp (this is when water is getting into the property through the structure and is usually caused by a fault in the roof or walls); or 
  - does not have a good enough supply of piped water; and
  - is going to be knocked down or has a closing order (which makes it illegal for anyone to live in the property until it is improved to meet the standard set out in the order).
  • 250 points
• The property is below an acceptable standard, for example:
  -  it has a bathroom with toilet which opens directly onto a kitchen or another room (not including a bedroom);
  -  it does not have a bath, shower or washbasin;
  -  there is evidence of rising or penetrating damp;
  -  it has faulty lighting, poor ventilation or drainage systems;
  -  there are no acceptable cooking facilities; AND
  -  the property does not have a closing order or is not going to be knocked down.
  • 150 points
• The property has minor faults including slight dampness or condensation and areas which need repairing.
  • 100 points

You live in poor housing conditions - caravans

• The caravan needs major repairs and also has poor or no facilities
  • 250 points
• The caravan needs major repairs but has facilities
  • 150 points
• The caravan needs minor repairs and has no facilities
  • 100 points

You are sharing facilities with another household

• You share a kitchen, bathroom or toilet
  • 100 points

You are a key worker

• You have a job which brings in skills that are not available locally
  • 100 points

Care and support

• Residential care or support is no longer appropriate.  You no longer need to live in supported accommodation.
  • 250 points

You live in a flat or maisonette (if you have children under 16 living with you)

• You have lived in a first-floor flat or maisonette with shared access for one year or more
  • 40 points
• You have lived in a second-floor flat or above or maisonette with shared access for one year or more
  • 75 points

You have a rural connection to the area

• For example, this could be a town where:
  -  you grew up;
  -  you currently live;
  -  you work; or
  -  your children currently go to school.
  Points in this category do not apply to Buckie, Elgin, Forres, Keith or Lossiemouth.
  • 50 points

Exceptional circumstances

• The Housing Needs Review Group will assess this
  • 0 to 500 (depending on the circumstances)  

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Medical assessment

If your current housing is affecting your health, you can fill in a housing application medical assessment form .  An independent medical adviser reviews all of these forms and can award extra medical points.  More information on  medical assessments is available here or you can view our leaflet Allocations Policy Medical Assessments.

If you have any questions about how we work out how many points we will award you or you need a medical assessment form please contact us on 0300 1234566 or visit your local Council Access Point.

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Are there circumstances when you will not award points?

For the points system to work fairly, we will not award extra points if we believe you have made your housing situation worse.  Instead we will award points as if you had stayed in your previous home.

If you are placed on the homeless priority list, your application will not be awarded points.  Instead your position on that list will normally depend on what date you made your homeless application.

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How long will I wait before I am offered a house?

There is no average waiting time.  How long you wait for a house will depend on:

•  the number of points we give your application;
• how popular the area that you have applied for;
• the size and type of property you need; and
• how often vacant properties come up

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What if I need special accommodation?

We provide a range of housing, which has been specially designed, built or adapted to meet the needs of certain groups, particularly elderly people and people with special needs.  If you want to apply for sheltered housing, you should answer ‘yes’ to the appropriate question on the housing application form.  The medical advisor will consider what type of accommodation will suit you.  If you would like advice on the options available, please contact your local Council Access Point.

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What if I am homeless or at risk of homelessness?

If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness you should contact our Housing Options Team as soon as possible for free housing advice.

Housing Options Team
Council Office
High Street
Elgin
IV30 1BX
Phone: 0300 1234566
Email: housing@moray.gov.uk

If you become homeless after 5pm or a weekend contact our out-of-hours emergency service on 08457 565656.

More information can be found here.

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How long will I have to be on the housing list? 

You will stay on the housing list until we find you accommodation, or until you tell us you no longer want to be on the housing list.  

Each year we will send you a letter asking if you want to stay on the housing list and if any of your circumstances have changed.  To stay on the list, you must fill in and return the form we send you.  If you do not respond, we will assume that you no longer want to be on the housing list and we will cancel your application.

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What if I owe money?

If you are behind with your current rent, owe rent from a previous tenancy or have other housing debts, you must make an arrangement to clear the amount you owe.  We may suspend your housing application from receiving any offer of accommodation unless:

• the housing debt is no more than 1/12 of the total amount of yearly rent you owe on your tenancy or previous tenancy; or
• you have made a payment arrangement with your current or previous landlord and you have kept to this for at least three months.  You will need to prove that you have kept to the repayment agreement.  If you still owe some of the debt, we will expect you to continue to make repayments.

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What if I receive a poor tenancy report from my landlord?

We may suspend your housing application from receiving any offer of accommodation if:

• you have not kept to the terms of your current or former tenancy in a satisfactory way;
• there is proof that you or a member of your household is responsible for anti-social behaviour; or
• you or a member of your household has been evicted.

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How do you decide who to give properties to?

For each empty home, we produce a shortlist of people who are looking for that size and type of home in that particular area.  This list will include people on the homeless priority, waiting and transfer.  For the transfer list and waiting list, we usually offer the home to the person on the shortlist with the most points.  For the homeless priority list, we usually offer the home to the person who has been on the list the longest.  However, we may not do this in every case.  This is because:

• we need to let homes to people from all the lists to make best use of our housing;
• we consider quotas set for each of the lists to allocate properties fairly to people most in housing need;
• we try to take account of anyone who has a particular need to live in that area, perhaps because they work there, or live there already;
• we will consider any exceptional circumstances when we decide your position on each list;
• we try to take account of any person who has a medical problem or disability and needs a certain type of accommodation  (for example, if the house has special features, such as wheelchair access or does not have stairs); and
• we also look at the preferences you have shown on your form, for example, if you say you only want a home with gas heating, we will not consider you for a home with electric heating.

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What happens if you offer me a property?

We will write and tell you.  Our letter will give you details of the home that we are offering you, when you can see it and how long you have to make up your mind.  If you accept the offer, your new tenancy will normally start as soon as the property is ready for you to move into.  We will charge you rent from the date the tenancy starts.

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What if I refuse an offer?

You have the right to refuse any offer.  However, if you refuse two reasonable offers of accommodation within a period of one year, we will not make any other offers of accommodation to you for six months from the date of your last offer.  If you are going to refuse an offer of accommodation, you should discuss your reasons with the area housing officer who deals with the area the property is in before you make a final decision.  This is because it may be some time before we can make another offer to you.

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Can I get help from a housing association?

There are a number of housing associations that have homes for rent in the Moray area.  You can apply directly to the housing associations to join their waiting lists.  This will give you the best chance of getting a home from them.  

We also have agreements with housing associations so that we can put forward applicants from our housing lists for some of their properties.  If you would like us to put you forward for a housing association property, you must let us know by filling in the relevant part of our housing application form .  

For more information on housing associations see the section on registered social landlords in our 'Guide to Housing Options in Moray'.  You can view a copy at your local area housing office or library or online.

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What is low-cost home ownership?

We work with the Scottish Government and local property developers to provide low-cost homes.  These special schemes give you the chance to own your own home if you are on a low income (as long as you are one of our tenants or on our waiting list for housing).  Some local housing associations also offer shared-ownership housing, which allows you to buy a percentage of the property and pay rent on the rest.  If you are interested in these schemes, you can visit the Scottish Government website or you can find out more information in our 'Guide to Housing Options in Moray which you can view at your local area housing office or library or online.

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Can I apply for a mutual exchange?

You can apply for a mutual exchange if you are:

• our tenant;
• a tenant with another local authority; or
• a tenant with a housing association

A mutual exchange is where you exchange your home with:

• another of our tenants;
• a council tenant from another local authority; or 
• a tenant from a housing association

House Exchange is a website that brings people together who are looking to swap their home.  To register you will need to visit the House Exchange website .  If you do not have Internet access at home you can visit your local library.  If you need help registering call us on 0300 1234566. 

The landlords of the properties must give permission before a mutual exchange can take place.  We will not withhold our permission unreasonably.

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What should I do if my circumstances change?

If your circumstances change, you must tell us as soon as possible.  You can do this by;

• phoning us on 0300 1234566;
• writing to the Housing and Property, The Moray Council, PO Box 6760, Elgin, IV30 9BX; or
• e-mailing us at housing@moray.gov.uk.

If you have moved, you will need to fill in a new housing application form (16 pages, 313 KB) so that we can work out how many points you would get from your new accommodation.  If your circumstances change and you do not let us know, this may affect housing we offer you in the future.

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Declaration

Please remember to sign your filled-in application form before you return it to us.  If any other person is making a joint application with you, make sure that they have signed the declaration too.  We will treat the information that you give us in confidence.  We may check the information you have given us is correct.

If you give false or misleading information, or knowingly withhold relevant information about your application for housing, we will suspend your application and we will not offer you any accommodation while we look into it.  If the investigation shows that you deliberately gave false or misleading information, we will cancel your application and ask you to fill in a new application form .  We may take court action against you and take back any tenancy we may have granted on the basis of false or misleading information.

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What happens to all of the information that I give?

We may ask for information about your health, sex, family, housing needs and previous addresses.  We will use the information you give to assess and meet you and your dependants housing needs.

We may also use the information for statistical or planning purposes used for future requirements.  We need these types of information to make sure that we protect your rights and make sure we keep to any relevant laws.  In some cases we can share personal information with other agencies, such as the health service, if you agree. 

We will not give this information to any other organisations unless you give us your permission in writing or we have to provide it by law.

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What if I disagree with your decision ?

If you are not satisfied with the decision we have made about your application, you should write to the Senior Housing Needs Officer (Allocations) at Housing and Property, The Moray Council, PO Box 6760, Elgin, IV30 9BX.

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