Giving tenants a choice

In future, tenants on our transfer list will have more choice about the home they move to. Instead of offering empty homes to people at the top of our transfer list, we will advertise our vacancies and invite you to bid for them.

We’re introducing the new scheme, known as ‘choice-based letting’, because studies show that tenants like this system and people who choose their home are likely to stay there longer. Many councils and housing associations are already running similar schemes and they have the backing of the Government.

When we recently consulted our own transfer applicants about the change, four out of five told us they thought it was a good idea. We are now going ahead by joining the west London scheme run by Locata (Housing Services) Ltd.

Choice-based lettings schemes are proving a good way to match people to homes they actually want, but of course they don’t make more homes available. Under choice-based letting, you will still need to have an urgent need to move to have a good chance of getting a change of home.

The new system will be up and running by September 2007.

Further information

You can find out more about the Locata system on their website at www.locata.org.

All tenants are also welcome to call us to discuss the new system. Phone Customer Services on 020 8354 5500 and ask to be put through to the lettings team.