residents

What is search moves?

With SEARCH MOVES it will not be the Council or Housing Association who will find and allocate you a home; instead you look for your own home using the SEARCH MOVES Freesheet and website.

There are five steps you must follow in choosing your new home:

Step 1 - Membership

You are automatically a member of SEARCH MOVES if you are an existing tenant who has applied for a transfer or have a Housing Register Application with one of the partners of SEARCH MOVES.

You may not be eligible to be on the housing register; your council can give you further advice on this.

Click here to download an application form.

Step 2 - Registration

Once your Council or Housing Association has accepted you onto their register, Locata will write to inform you of your unique SEARCH MOVES reference number and will tell you which band (A, B, C, D or E) you have been placed in and your priority date. (See pages 7 to 8 of the User Guide for details of how the priority band and date system works.)

You must keep your Housing Department informed of any changes to your housing circumstances. This is very important as it could result in changing your band, or your eligibility for certain homes.

Step 3 - Choosing your Home

Available properties are advertised in a Freesheet called "SEARCH MOVES". The adverts give you information about each property available for letting. You can pick up a free copy from various places, including civic centres, housing offices and public libraries. SEARCH MOVES is also available online. Go to www.searchmoves.org.uk.

You are entitled to bid for up to 3 properties in each edition as long as you are eligible for them. Once you have your Freesheet or viewed this on the internet you will be able to bid for a property.

You can bid in any 4 ways:

By coupon We send blank coupons direct to you with your registration pack. Each bid coupon will have your name and reference number printed on them. This number is unique to you so no one else can use your coupon. (See page 14 of the User Guide on how to complete your coupon.)

On the web Go to www.searchmoves.org.uk and logon with your reference number and birth date.

By telephone Call 0845 676 2111 and follow the instructions. (See page 13 of the User Guide for instructions on making your bids by telephone.)

By text Call 07781 472726 (see page 12 for of the User Guide for instructions on making bids by text.)

Available homes will be advertised from 9.30am on Tuesday until 12 noon on the following Monday. Your bids must reach Locata by 12 noon on the Monday.

Step 4 - Offer

Locata puts the bids received, for each property advertised, in priority order to produce a shortlist of applicants for each property. The SEARCH MOVES partner will carry out further eligibility checks and if your name is at the top of the shortlist, you will normally be invited to view the property. If you refuse this property, the next person on the shortlist will be invited to view the property if they have not already viewed it. You do not automatically get penalised for refusing properties you have chosen, although measures might be taken if you refuse several properties, especially if you are in a high 'priority band' and need to move urgently.

Many landlords invite more than one member to view thier properties at the same time, although the property is always offered first to the member with the highest priority who attends the viewing.

If you are at the top of more than one shortlist, the SEARCH MOVES partner will decide which property to offer you and the other properties will be offered to other applicants. Any offer is subject to your application being verified (checked and approved) to confirm your circumstances. You are responsible for ensuring that all supporting documents are made availabe to the housing authority which manages your application. If your application cannot be verified the offer may be made to another applicant.

If you receive an offer to view, and if you do NOT intend to turn up you must contact the SEARCH MOVES partner.

Step 5 - Feedback

All properties are listed on the "Feedback" page of SEARCH MOVES freesheet once they have been let. The feedback tells you how many people bid for each property, as well as the band and registration date of the successful bidder. This helps you to see how long the successful bidders have been waiting.

It is not possible to notify you individually when your bids have been unsuccessful. If a person who was top of the shortlist refuses, the next person who was on the list may be invited some weeks after the closing date.

If you require any help or assistance please call 01932 235700  and ask to speak to a Customer Services Officer.

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