Frequently asked questions

                         

The following information provides details to questions frequently asked about our Choice Based Lettings (CBL) scheme, Hometrak Woking:

1. The Housing Register

What is the Housing Register?

The Housing Register was set up to allocate vacant homes to individuals and families in the greatest need of housing. These homes may belong to the Council, a housing association or to a landlord who is participating in the Council's Private Rented Scheme. There are also opportunities for low cost home ownership.

There is a shortage of housing in Woking and the demand far exceeds the supply - unfortunately, it is not possible for us to house everyone who applies. There are thousands of households on our waiting list, meaning that there are likely to be a lot of people bidding for each available property and those in the most urgent housing need will get the highest priority. There is no money involved in placing a bid.

Who is eligible?

You may apply to join the Housing Register  and become a member of Hometrak Woking if you are aged 16 or over. You will be accepted on to the Housing Register if you:

  • Have applied to the Council as homeless.

  • Are an existing Council tenant who wishes to transfer.

If your application is not accepted or is cancelled because you do not meet these criteria you can request a review of the decision. The review procedure is conducted by a senior officer unconnected with the initial decision.

You will not be able to join the Housing Register if:

  • you are not an `eligible person' under section S.160A of the Housing Act 1996. This could mean you are an asylum seeker or are not allowed to use public funds (help and assistance from the Government) because of your immigration status;

or

  • you or any member of your household has been found guilty of serious anti social behaviour and a possession order is being sought or has been obtained;

or

  • you have assaulted a member of Woking Borough Council staff and an injunction is being sought or has been obtained;

or

  • you have knowingly given false or misleading information or withheld information that has been reasonably requested.

We will write to you if you are to be excluded from the Housing Register giving our reasons for excluding you.

For more detailed information about eligibility please refer to the Choice Based Lettings Procedure.

How do I apply to the Housing Register?

To apply to the Housing Register you need to fill in an application form. You can get an application form by:

You will need to complete the Housing Registration form if you wish to apply for rented or low cost home ownership properties.

You must keep Housing staff informed of any changes to your household, medical condition or housing situation. This is very important as it could result in a change to your band, or your eligibility for a home.

You will need to give us all the information we ask for or we will have to return your application form to you. You must also provide documentary proof of any other information that has been requested (originals not photocopies).

How do I know if I am on the Housing Register?

Once we receive your completed form, your application will be assessed and you will be placed into a priority band according to your housing need.

We will send you a membership pack which will tell you your Housing Application Number, which of the six bands you have been placed in and your priority date. You will also be told what type and size of accommodation you are eligible to bid for.

We will send you a Personal Identification Number (PIN) separately in the post.

How will I know if my application has been accepted?

We will write and let you know whether your application has been accepted or not. If your application is not accepted we will tell you the reason why.

Do you need to know if my circumstances change?

Yes, you must keep Housing staff informed of any changes to your household, medical condition or housing situation. This is very important as it could result in a change to your band, or your eligibility for a home.

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2. What is Hometrak Woking?

How do I become eligible to use Hometrak Woking?

You will need to complete a Housing Registration form. You can download a copy of the application form, request a form by telephone on 01483 755855 or by visit the One Stop Shop at the Civic Offices.

 Once you have been accepted on to our Housing Register, you will be sent a Hometrak Membership Pack which will include details of everything you need to know to enable you to bid for properties through Hometrak Woking.                                          

You will need to use the Housing Registration form if you wish to apply for rented or low cost home ownership properties.

How does the Council decide what properties I am eligible for?

When the Council receives your Housing Registration form an assessment is made based on the information you provide. Your application will be prioritised and placed into a band depending on your housing need. You will only be eligible to bid for the size and type of property that you are assessed as needing.

                                       

How do I access Hometrak Woking for the first time?

You can access Hometrak Woking online using the Services Gateway, or by using the automated telephone service. To use either of these services you will need your application number and PIN.

1. Online

  • Once you have received a membership pack, Housing Application Number and PIN, you can register with Hometrak Woking and use the website to express your interest in a property. The PIN will be sent to you separately from the membership pack.
  • To access the Hometrak Woking website for the first time you will need to register by selecting 'Services Gateway' on the home page of the Woking Borough Council website.
  • Services Gateway is another way of accessing Council services online, such as looking up your Council Tax details and using the Hometrak Woking website to bid for a property online.
  • You will need to provide some basic contact details and set up your own user name and password. Having completed this first step you will then need to subscribe to the Hometrak service. The system will prompt you for your application number and PIN at this point.
  • Unless your circumstances change you will only need to do this once. As soon as you have entered this information you will be able to express an interest in suitable properties.
  • Once you have registered for the Services Gateway, and the Hometrak Woking website, you will no longer need your Housing Application Number and PIN to use the Hometrak Woking website, however these numbers are still required if you wish to bid for properties using the telephone services.

2. Telephone service

  • Once you have registered received a membership pack, Housing Application Number and PIN you can register with Hometrak Woking and use the telephone service to express your interest in a property. The PIN will be sent to you separately from the membership pack.
  • You will need your PIN every time you bid for properties using the telephone service so please keep it safe.
  • The telephone service number is 01483 755855. After dialling this number you will need to select the Hometrak option. All you have to do is follow some very easy steps and in less than two minutes you can register your property selection over the telephone.
  • There will only be one PIN per application. This will be sent to the lead applicant, but it can be used by all applicants in the household.

If you do not have your PIN you will not be able to use Hometrak Woking.

What do I do if I lose my PIN?

If you lose your PIN, or need a new one due to a change in circumstances, you will need to apply for a new one using the online form provided on the Services Gateway pages.

Will I need to use my PIN everytime I bid online?

No, you only need to use your PIN to register for Hometrak Woking. Once you have registered you will not need your PIN to bid for a property online. You should keep your PIN if you wish to use the telephone service.

Will I need to use my PIN every time I bid using the telephone service?

Yes, you will need to use your PIN every time you want to bid for a property using the telephone service.

What is banding?

Everyone on the Hometrak Woking Housing Register will be placed in a band which indicates their housing need.

The idea of the scheme is that you should not overtake an existing member in a band. People in greatest need have priority and are placed in a higher band.

But priority within a band is based on date order, according to the date you were placed into that band.

You are only eligible for bands A, B, C, D and E if you are a Woking resident or work more than 35 hours a week within the Borough.

The bands explained:

Band A - Emergency move

You will be placed in this band if:

  • There is a life threatening medical condition which is seriously aggravated by your current housing situation which could mean you are considered to be homeless.

or

  • You are a Council or housing association tenant who is homeless because your life, or a member of your household's life, will be at risk if you remain in your current home.

If you are placed in Band A, you must bid for the first suitable property which becomes available. If you choose not to do this, your emergency status will be removed and you will be placed in Band D.

Band B - Premium move

You will be placed in this band if:

  • You are a Council or housing association tenant whose property is required for redevelopment;

or

  • You are a successor to a Council property and need to move to a one-bedroom property;

or

  • You are a Council or housing association tenant of a property which has had major adaptations that you no longer need, and wish to move to a general needs property;

or

  • You are a Council or housing association tenant who occupies a family home and are prepared to move to a one bedroom property or studio.

Band C - Priority move

You will be placed in this band if:

  • You or a member of your household, have a medical condition that is significantly aggravated by your housing circumstances and as a result will affect your life expectancy;

or

  • You are a Council or housing association tenant and there is a serious risk of harm to you or a member of your household due to social reasons, violence, threatened violence or harassment.  If you are in this category, you may only bid for a similar property to the one you are currently living in, following recommendation by the Police, Tenant and Leaseholder Services or other statutory agencies;

or

  • You have been assessed as needing sheltered, supported, special needs or extra care housing by a special needs panel. You may only bid for supported accommodation if you have been assessed as needing this type of accommodation;

                                       

or

  • You are a supported housing tenant and have successfully completed a placement with support, which means you are now able to live independently;

                                     

or

  • You are living in a property which is in a serious state of disrepair and this cannot be resolved whilst you remain living there;

If you are placed in this band, you must make three bids during each six-month period for suitable properties or your level of priority will be reduced to Band D. This will be extended if there are insufficient suitable properties available to bid for.

Band D - Identified need

You will be placed in this band if:

  • The Council has accepted a duty to re-house you and you are currently living in temporary accommodation found for you by the Housing Needs and Enabling team, are homeless at home or sleeping rough;

or

  • Your household is in need of at least one more bedroom and includes dependent children (for whom child benefit is received);

or

  • You are living in accommodation which is in poor condition and this is damaging to your health and cannot be resolved at reasonable cost;

or

  • You, or a member of your household, need to move for medical reasons which are aggravated by your housing conditions but are not likely to affect your life expectancy.

Band E - Low priority

You will be placed in this band if:

  • You have at least one less bedroom than you need and you have children under 12 in an upstairs flat or maisonette;

or

  • You do not have dependent children, have sufficient bedrooms for your own use, but you are sharing facilities with others (such as a kitchen or bathroom);

or

  • You have a medical condition which is affected by your housing circumstances but is treatable and not likely to affect your life expectancy;

or

  • You are giving or receiving care which can only be delivered if you live in a specific location in Woking;

or

  • You have permanent employment which you cannot continue or you cannot take up unless you live within a specific location in Woking.

Band F - All other applicants 

All other applicants will be placed in Band F.

Restrictions (All bands)

You will not be made an offer of accommodation if you (or your household):

  • Have been evicted from your previous accommodation due to anti-social behaviour;

  • Have been subject to an Anti Social Behaviour Order (ASBO) within the last two years;

  • Have made a fraudulent claim for housing within the last two years;

  • Have deliberately worsened your housing conditions within the last two years;

  • Are under a Notice Of Seeking Possession (NOSP) from the Council or any other registered social landlord for breach of tenancy conditions or where there is an injunction, or

  • If you have the financial means to solve your own housing problem.

In addition, if you have sufficient income to be considered for shared ownership or other low cost home ownership schemes you will not be able to bid for rented Council or housing association accommodation.

What band will I be placed in?

You will be placed in a band that reflects your housing need based on the information you provided on your housing application form.

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3. Bidding Process

What is a bid?

A bid is how you express an interest in a property. You can only bid for advertised properties and you only have to bid once per property, per bidding cycle. There is no money involved in placing a bid.

When can I make a bid?

Properties will be advertised every fortnight. This means the list of properties will be updated every two weeks. The deadline for bids will be advertised on the website and on the printed property list. 

You can express your interest in a property any time during the following times:

Monday        Midnight - 9pm
Tuesday       7am - 10pm
Wednesday  7am - 10pm
Thursday      7.30am - 10pm
Friday           7am - 10pm
Saturday       7am - Midnight
Sunday          All day

How can I make a bid?

You can express your interest in a property in the following ways:

  • On line through the Hometrak Woking website.
  • Through our Hometrak telephone service on 01483 755855.
  • By calling into the Civic Offices.
  • Using a Hometrak Woking Kiosk. There will be a number of kiosks in key locations around the Borough such as The Vyne (Knaphill), Moorcroft (Westfield), St Marys (Byfleet) and the Civic Offices.

How many properties can I bid for?

You will be able to bid for a maximum of three properties each time properties are advertised. However, you will only be able to bid for properties that are suitable for your household size.

Can I bid for any property?

The system will check whether you meet the eligibility requirements for the property you are bidding for, for example whether your bedroom need is appropriate for the property. If you do not meet the requirements you will not be able to bid for that property.

If you think that you do meet the eligibility requirements but are not able to bid this may be because the information held on your application is incorrect or not up to date. It is, therefore, essential that you inform us immediately of any changes that may affect your application.

Can I withdraw a bid?

You can withdraw a bid at any time during the bidding cycle. You can do this online and through the Hometrak telephone service on 01483 755855.

How do I get feedback on my bid?

Due to the volume of bids received it will not be possible to give feedback individually. All properties that are let will be publicised on the Hometrak Woking website under `Recent Lets'. We will tell you the number of bids received for each property and the band and band date of the successful applicant.

How will feedback help me to make the most of my bid?

Having this information will help you to measure your own priority rating against those who were successful. You can then adjust your requirements for either area or property type if you need to move quickly.

When will I know if my bid is successful?

If your bid has been successful you will be contacted by a member of the Hometrak Woking team. If you have not been contacted within 7 days of the closing date for bids, your bid has not been successful.  Please do not call the Hometrak team for individual results as we do not have the staff available to answer such enquiries.

What happens if a customer bids for more than three properties?

Once your maximum number of bids has been reached the system will not allow you to place any further bids in that bidding cycle. You can withdraw a bid at any time during the bidding cycle (see Section 3 for more details).

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4. Where can I feedback my comments?

If you have any comments about Hometrak Woking, or questions that have not been answered above, please contact us:

Online comments and queries form

Housing Needs
Woking Borough Council
Civic Offices
Gloucester Square
Woking
Surrey
GU21 6YL

Tel: 01483 743833