Gateway to Homechoice FAQ
What happens if i have rent arrears
You will be able to view all empty homes available and place a bid if you are interested in them. However, if you are currently behind with your rent, or owe rent from a previous tenancy held by you or your partner, you may not be invited to view any properties or be made an offer. It will be the decision of the landlord at the time of shortlisting whether they ask you to view.
If you would like to take part in the scheme fully, we would advise you to clear your arrears as soon as possible. You should contact your existing or previous landlord to make arrangements to re-pay in full or set up a regular re-payment plan if required.
What happens if I don’t provide the required documents?
If you do not provide the required documents within 28 days of the local authority requesting them then your application will be cancelled. If you have a problem getting the requested information within 28 days because you are waiting for a new birth certificate or passport to be sent to you please discuss this with the relevant local authority
How long will it take for me to get housed?
This depends on where you want to live and what type of property you need. In some areas, there is very high demand for certain types of properties so in these circumstances, you are likely to wait for a property for a long time. In other areas, there may be more properties available. For more information on the length of waiting times, please see our Annual Report.
I am already a social housing tenant – How can I move faster?
Mutual Exchange is by far a faster option for moving house than bidding on Gateway. Once you have found someone to swap with, and all checks are satisfactory between the tenants and Landlords, a move can be facilitated within a matter of weeks. (Bidding on Gateway can take months/years) There are often people who wish to move to a smaller property or to a particular area if its nearer to their support network, but do not know about your property, or your desire to move.
Placing adverts in the local shops in the area you would like to move to and social media or exchange websites, would enable those people who want to move to your area, but don't know how to go about it, to contact you to discuss swapping. There are lots of people who don’t advertise their need to move and who would not have a priority on Gateway so this would help them to find you. Always keep your contact details and address anonymous until you feel safe enough to exchange the information and only put a contact number or email address on any adverts you place.
People respond well to pictures and a list of facilities/features/bills/room sizes that a prospective home has to offer. e.g do you have good transport options nearby, GP surgery/school/shops in walking distance? Spacious rooms, modern
kitchen/bathroom? These are worth including in any advertisements you place in your target area. Please also bear in mind though, that in order to move either via Gateway to Homechoice or Mutual Exchange, you must have an up to date rent account which is clear of arrears.
Who can be included on an application?
An applicant may include anyone on their application if they usually reside with the main applicant as a member of the family/household. This includes any close blood relative, marital or co-habiting partners or someone who might reasonably be expected to reside with the main applicant. Any adult who is asking to be accepted or who has been accepted as being part of a household but who is not the lead or joint applicant will be required to sign a declaration acknowledging that the relevant local authority may undertake enquiries into their circumstances. Lodgers or live-in carers are not usually included as part of the main applicant’s household and so would not be included in a housing application. If an applicant requires an extra bedroom for their carer, they should apply for this under the Welfare criteria.
What if I have applied before?
An applicant or household member can only be part of one active housing register application at a time.
If you have been housed or your application has been closed…
Applicants who have previously been registered and their application has been closed can re-apply to join the register using their existing log in number. Previous joint applicants who wish to apply separately will need to have their application split
and will be provided with another log in number.
Applicants previously housed into social housing will be permitted to re-apply to join the housing register; however, if they apply during the first 12 months after moving, they will receive an effective date of 12 months after their tenancy began.
Why do I need to renew my application each year?
Once a year you will be asked to review your application to check that all of the information we hold about you is accurate. If you do not renew your application within 28 days, we will close your application.
Can I apply if I own a property?
Owner-occupiers or applicants who own other residential property are eligible to join the housing register but will be placed below other groups in our lowest priority band (Band E). Owner-occupiers in Band E will be able to express an interest for a
property if they wish to do so, however, because a Council or RP tenancy can only be held as a main home, homes are not usually offered to applicants who still own their home or are paying a residential mortgage. An exception may be considered where an older owner-occupier wants to express an interest in low demand sheltered accommodation
How often are properties advertised
Properties which are available for rent are advertised each week on Thursday mornings until just before midnight on Wednesdays. You can bid for properties at any time during the bidding cycle; there is no advantage to bidding earlier in the cycle
I am going to be homeless soon - what should I do?
If you are threatened with homelessness, you should contact the Housing Advice or Housing Options team based in the Council where you live. They have a legal responsibility to assess your needs and will advise you in more detail about your housing options. Contact details for the Gateway local authorities Housing Options teams are:
Local Council |
, Telephone Number |
Email Address |
Babergh & Mid | 0300 123 4000 | housingsolutions@baberghmidsuffolk.gov.uk |
Braintree | 01376 552 525 | housing.optionsservice@braintree.gov.uk |
Colchester | 01206 580292 | housing.solutions@cbhomes.org.uk |
East Suffolk | 01502 523524 | housing.needs@eastsuffolk.gov.uk |
Ipswich | 01473 432000 | housing.options@ipswich.gov.uk |
Maldon | 01621 854477 | Housingoptions@maldon.gov.uk |
I cannot upload my documents on gateway
The maximum file size you can upload is 4MB and the file name must be no more than 60 characters
Your documents need to be in one of the following formats to be uploaded: doc, docx, rtf, pdf, tif, tiff, jpg, jpeg, jif, png, bmp, pptx or txt
Please Click here, this will take you to the gateway to homechoice website to show you, how you can upload documents
What happens after I have completed the application form?
Maldon Gateway to homechoice will assess your housing needs and may ask you to provide supporting verification and evidence for your application, including proof of identity for all household members, proof of your address, a reference from your current landlord, proof of your income and other financial details and any other supporting information requested by the Maldon Housing.
Once you have provided the Gateway to Homechoice with all of the relevant information requested and they have been checked and verified your documents You application will be activated and you will receive an email or letter informing you which band you have been placed in, what your effective date is and what size property you are eligible for.
If you are currently a tenant in a housing association or council property, you may wish to consider a Mutual Exchange. To place your advert, you will need to log on to House Exchange and contact your landlord. This is an independent site that is available to anyone in a social housing property anywhere in the UK to exchange with another interested party.
If however, you are currently renting from the private sector, you may need to consider relocating privately into accommodation that you feel is more suitable to meet your needs.
If you are owner occupiers and over the age of 60, you might like to consider looking at Housing Care, this site gives details on retirement housing, care homes & elderly care facilities or alternatively, call FREE telephone advice line - 0800 377 7070.