Lettings Policy

Tower Hamlets Lettings Policypreference date will be the date yourcase was first considered by the Panel.185. The Lettings Sustainability Officermanaging your case will review thepriority awarded to your applicationevery three months to confirm whetherthe award made to you continues to bejustified. If due to change ofcircumstances it is considered theaward is no longer justified yourapplication will revert to the statusbefore the award was made. It istherefore very important that youcontinue to report anything thathappens that may be relevant to youraward.186. It is important that you make aninformed decision about the type ofhomes that will become available. Theadditional priority you have been givenreflects a genuine and compellingreason for you to move. This will giveyou higher priority than most applicantsin housing need on the Housing List.187. Offers with this award will be made on alike-for- like basis, unless there aresound reasons why this should not bethe case. You will only receive one offerof suitable and reasonableaccommodation. Where appropriate youmay be made a direct offer.188. If you have not moved to permanentaccommodation within three monthsthen your application will be included onlists for all suitable and reasonablevacant homes that become available.When considering what is suitable andreasonable, you will be asked to confirmthe areas of the Borough or types ofproperty that you cannot live in. This isnot the same as properties you do notwant to live in and you will be asked toexplain why you are not able to considerthem. You will not be asked to live in anarea where you are not safe.189. If you refuse a home that is offered toyou, the additional priority awarded toyour application will be withdrawn. Iftemporary accommodation has beenprovided this will also be withdrawn. Ifyou do not attend a viewing, we willassume that you have refused theproperty unless there are genuinereasons why you could not turn up andyou could not tell us beforehand.190. If you disagree with a decision madeyou can ask for a review. (See Appendix3) Whilst we will consider every reviewon its merits, for a review to succeedthere should be genuine reasons whythe property was not suitable for you orwhy it was not reasonable for us tomake you the offer. We will considerwhether you have chosen the property(either in response to an advert or if theproperty meets the choices you havetold us about in the past) ; thecircumstances that you have told usabout justifying your application beinggiven higher priority ; and the reasonswhy you feel the offer made was notsuitable or reasonable.Emergency priority award191. This is the highest priority awardavailable and will only be given inexceptional circumstances. Yourpreference date will be the date yourcase was first considered by the Panelor the date of an award if the decision ismade by a senior manager. If awarded,the application will be placed in Band 1Group A. Applicants awardedemergency status are considered firstfor any suitable homes available.192. The Lettings Sustainability Officermanaging your case will review thepriority awarded to your every threemonths to confirm whether the awardmade to you continues to be justified. Ifdue to change of circumstances it isconsidered the award is no longerjustified your application will revert to29