Providing a home

 

The information below provides an indication of the type of properties the association has for rent, as well as some of the frequently asked questions about our Housing Services.

What Sort of Accommodation is Available for Rent?
We have a wide range of properties available for rent, including:

How Do I Apply for Property to Rent?
Housing application forms are available from our main reception area at 18 Caldmore Green, alternatively you can telephone us on 01922 705764 and speak to one of our Tenancy and Lettings Officer, Theresa Bickford. You can also download a Housing Application Form online. Our Customer Services Advisors at 18 Caldmore Green deal with all applications for housing. They can help you to fill in your housing application form as well as providing advice and assistance.

How long will it take to Process my Housing Application?
It usually takes about two weeks to process your completed application, but please bear in mind that we do receive a lot of applications and have to interview everyone who applies for housing. We will also need to contact your previous Landlord(s) for a reference which may further delay the process.

When Am I Likely to be offered a Property?
Unfortunately, for most of our properties demand does outstrip supply, which means that there is nearly always a waiting list. How long you will wait for a property depends on your personal circumstances and the size, type and location of the property you need. We will let you know roughly how long you can expect to wait to be housed when our Customer Services Advisors interview you.

Who is Eligible to Apply for Housing?
Our advice and assistance is available to everyone, as we appreciate that everyone may have a housing need at some point in their lives. However, it is more difficult for us to house people under the age of 18 without a guarantor, or those with high incomes or savings. If you are unsure whether or not you would qualify for housing then please contact us. We do recognise that anyone can have a housing need and we will do our best to help you.

Who is Given Priority for Housing?
Like many Registered Social Landlords, our application system is scored on a ‘points’ basis according to your personal needs and requirements. This enables us to identify those in most urgent need for re-housing. Points are awarded according to the housing, social or medical needs of each applicant. Applicants with the highest total points will be offered properties first, as they are deemed to be in greatest need.

Will I Get to Choose the Property and Area I Want to Live In?
When you apply for housing with us, we will try to find out as much information as possible about the type of property you need and the area(s) you would like to live in. Wherever possible, we will then try to offer you a property in line with your request.
However, we are unable to accept requests for individual streets or houses due to the high level of demand for our properties, as this would inevitably lead to longer waiting times for everyone that approaches us for housing.

Roughly How Much Rent Will I Have to Pay?
Recent Government legislation now means that all Registered Social Landlords are required to charge similar levels of rent, which means that the rent we charge is in line with the regional average amount for the West Midlands.
The amount of rent you pay will depend on the size and type of the property you rent from us and any additional services which may be provided. For example, we clean the windows and maintain the landscaped garden areas at many of our flats.
Our average rents (including service charges) are as follows:
1 bedroom apartment £53 - £57 per week
2 bedroom apartment £59 - £68 per week
2 bedroom house £62 - £70 per week
3 bedroom house £67 - £74 per week
4 bedroom house £76 - £78 per week

Will I be entitled to Housing Benefit?
You can claim Housing Benefit whilst living in a Caldmore Housing property.  If you need to apply for Housing Benefit, our Housing Officers can help you to complete your benefit application form and carry out a calculation for you to estimate how much Housing Benefit you may be entitled to receive.

If you want to find out if you will be entitled to housing benefit and Council Tax Benefit, please follow the link below to Walsall MBCs 'Instant Online HB Estimated Service'