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Better homes, better lives

You and Loretto Housing Renting a home

Looking for a new home to rent? Here’s what you need to know – and what you have to do

Loretto Housing Association www.lorettoha.co.uk

Si vous nous le demandez, nous pouvons vous remettre ces informations en d’autres langues, en braille ou sur cassette. Si vous souhaitez que ces informations vous soient fournies sous l’un de ces formats, contactez-nous en composant le 0141 420 7950.

We can produce information on request in large print, Braille, tape and on disk. It is also available in other languages. If you need information in any of these formats please contact us on 0141 420 7950.

Na Pana/Pani życzenie możemy zapewnić te informacje w innych językach, alfabetem Braille’a lub na kasecie. Jeśli chciał(a)by Pan(i) uzyskać te informacje w którejś z tych form, prosimy skontaktować się z nami pod numerem telefonu 0141 420 7950.

Haddii aad na weydiisato waxaanu warbixintan kugu siin karaa iyadoo ku qoran luuqad kale, farta ay dadka indhaha la’ akhriyaan ama cajalad ku duuban. Haddii aad jeclaan lahayd in warbxintan lagugu siiyo mid ka mid ah qaababkaas, fadlan nagala soo xidhiidh telefoonka 0141 420 7950.

По вашей просьбе данная информация может быть предоставлена на других языках, шрифтом Брайля или в аудиозаписи. Если вам требуется информация в одном из этих форматов, позвоните нам по номеру 0141 420 7950.

0141 420 7950

0141 420 7950

0141 420 7950

Loretto Housing Association has more than 1,100 properties in Glasgow, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and the central belt. We are part of Wheatley Group – the country’s leading housing, care and regeneration group – which has a wide range of affordable homes right across Central Scotland.

This means that once you’ve registered with us you’ll not only be able to look at the homes we have available for rent at Loretto Housing Association but also those available through three of our partners in Wheatley – GHA with 43,000 homes in Glasgow, Cube with 3,300 homes in the West of Scotland and WLHP with 380 homes in West Lothian.

Each of Wheatley’s partner social landlords lets its homes in a way that’s designed to:

give you a say in where you live give you advice and support while you are looking for a home be fair to everyone in need of social housing be open and easy to use.

You only need to complete one application form to register for housing with all the participating landlords. Visit online at https://home-finder.org.uk to see all the available homes each week. If you want to find out more, call us on 0141 420 7950.

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Renting a home

Are you looking for a new home to rent? This booklet explains what you need to know and what you have to do if you are interested in a home for social rent with Loretto Housing Association.

Renting a home

Four steps to renting a home with Loretto Housing Association or one of our partner landlords

1 1. Register for housing (go to page 5) Fill in our application form (available on our website, from our office or by calling 0141 420 7950). You only need to fill in one form and then you can note interest in homes from any of the partner landlords in Wheatley Group. Once you have registered you’ll be given a Registration Number, Applicant Group and PIN. You need these details to note an interest in any of the landlords’ available homes.

2 Looking for a home (go to page 9) Homes available through each partner landlord are posted on our Home Finder website each week. If you want to note an interest you will need your Registration Number and PIN. Search by visiting https://home-finder.org.uk

3 Note an interest (go to page 12) You need to note an interest before the weekly deadline of 8pm on a Monday. You can note an interest in up to two properties a week for each landlord. If you become a tenant you will have to pay your rent charge from day one when you get your keys.

4 Your offer (go to page 14) If your application has been successful, the partner landlord will contact you as soon as possible after the closing date. If you are not successful you can continue to note an interest in other homes each week.

The way Loretto Housing Association and our partner social landlords let homes gives you a more active role in choosing where you live and the type of home you live in.

Every week Loretto Housing Association and our partner landlords advertise available homes on the Home Finder website https://home-finder.org.uk. If you do not have access to the internet you can call into the landlords’ office or, the GHA shop at 173 Trongate in the city centre of Glasgow.

We can also post out a weekly Home Finder leaflet which has details of all the available homes. This is available on request.

To be considered for one of the homes, you will have to note an interest in the property. We explain how to do this on page 12. You only have to register once with any of the partner landlords. Once you’re registered you’ll be able to look at all the adverts from all the partner landlords and note an interest in any which match your needs.

This means you’ll see a bigger range of homes which you may be interested in.

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How do we let homes?

Renting a home

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Register

Looking for a home

Note an interest

Your offer

Step 1

Page 4

Register

Anyone aged 16 or over can apply for housing. Before you can note an interest in a home, you must first register with Loretto Housing Association or one of our partner landlords if you have not already done so.

You can get a registration form by:

visiting our office, or any of our partner landlords’ offices (details on page 18)

going to our website www.lorettoha.co.uk or any of our partner landlords’ websites (details on page 18)

calling us on 0141 420 7950.

Once you have registered, you will receive a letter containing your Applicant Group, Registration Number and PIN. Please keep these details safe as you will need them when you note an interest in a property.

Here’s a handy box where you can note down your details and keep them safe.

My Registration Number

My Applicant Group

My PIN

Renting a home

Register (continued)

Your Applicant Group is decided based on your circumstances and reflects your housing need.

If you don’t agree with the group you are given, you can contact us and we will look at your case. Our Applicant Groups are shown opposite.

Applicant Groups

Group 1 Applicants with no housing need priority will be placed in this group.

Group 2 This includes applicants referred by their local authority and applicants with multiple needs who need to be re-housed urgently, or living in accommodation below the tolerable standard.

Group 3 This includes applicants in housing need such as non-mobility medical need or overcrowding.

Group 4 For applicants who have a need to live in an area e.g. through carer support, education or employment needs.

Group 5 Mobility

For applicants who have a medical priority for mobility reasons.

Group 6 Under- occupation

For tenants of our partner landlords who are currently under-occupying a:

a) 3 bedroom property (or larger) and wish to move to a smaller home or

b) 2 bedroom property, are affected by the UK Government’s ‘Bedroom Tax’, and as a result, wish to move to a smaller home.

Group 7 Sheltered Housing

For applicants aged 60 or over who require sheltered or very sheltered housing support services.

Register with us (continued)

Renting a home

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Step 2

Page 8

Register

Looking for a home

Note an interest

Your offer

Renting a home

Looking for a home

Homes advertised for every Applicant Group

Once you have your Registration Number and PIN you can start looking for a home and noting an interest. Homes available through Loretto Housing Association and all our partner landlords are advertised:

on Home Finder at https://home-finder.org.uk

at our office

in our weekly Home Finder leaflet which can be posted to you on request.

The homes available to rent are advertised on a Tuesday and you can note an interest in any of them right up until the following Monday at 8pm. You can note an interest in up to two properties a week for each landlord.

Each property advertised will be targeted towards a particular Applicant Group. Properties will be advertised showing clearly which group they are targeted at.

You are more likely to be offered a property that matches your Applicant Group. However if no one from that Applicant Group notes an interest in the home, we will open it up to other Applicant Groups.

It’s also important that you look for a home suitable for the size of your household. The property advertisement will tell you the number of bedrooms each property has. Our guide below gives a general indication of the number of bedrooms different households need and the size of property they can apply for.

If you try to note an interest in a property which is considered to have too many rooms for your needs, you will not be allowed to proceed with noting an interest. If you want to talk about this aspect of your application, please contact us.

Household description Size of property / Number of bedrooms

Single person / couple Bedsit, 1-bedroom

Couple / single parent with one child or two children under 10 2-bedroom

Family with up to 4 children under 10 3-bedroom

Family with 4 children 3 or 4-bedroom

Family with 4 adult children 4 or more bedrooms

Please also note that if you are on Housing Benefit and your home is considered to have more bedrooms than you need under the UK Government’s guidelines, you will be required to pay a proportion of the rent yourself.

Finding a home that’s the right size

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Step 3

Page 11Renting a home

Register

Looking for a home

Note an interest

Your offer

You can note an interest in up to two properties in any week per landlord. Before you begin, please have your Registration Number and PIN ready. You can note an interest by:

You can change or cancel a note of interest any time up to 8pm on a Monday, using any of the methods detailed above.

If you become a tenant your tenancy agreement requires you to pay your rent charge from day one when you get your keys.

Online By visiting https://home-finder.org.uk from Tuesday morning until the following Monday at 8pm.

Phone Call us on 0141 420 7950.

Local office

You can also visit our housing office during normal office opening hours.

Speak to your housing officer

If you’re a tenant with one of our partner landlords, remember your housing officer can help you with all your enquiries – including helping you note an interest in a home.

Note an interest

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Step 4

Page 13Renting a home

Register

Looking for a home

Note an interest

Your offer

What if several people note an interest?

Your offer

If a number of people from the right applicant group note an interest in a property, then the home will be offered to the person who has been waiting longest in that Applicant Group.

If no-one from the right Applicant Group notes an interest, then it will be offered to whoever notes interest and who has been waiting the longest.

If you are unsuccessful in getting a property, we can provide feedback and help you review your choices of property. You can also review this yourself online at https://home-finder.org.uk

Notes of interest are not considered on a “first come, first served” basis. We will consider all notes of interest as long as they have been placed before the deadline at 8pm on a Monday.

Remember you are more likely to be offered a property that matches your Applicant Group and is suited to the size of your household.

If Loretto Housing Association or one of our partner landlords can offer you the home of your choice, you will contacted as soon as possible after the advert closes. A suitable date and time will be arranged for a housing officer to visit you.

If you would like, we can contact you by email or text if you are unsuccessful. You can request this service by using the contact details on page 18.

If you’re waiting to hear about properties you’ve already noted an interest in, you can still continue to note an interest in new properties each week.

Allocations results are published at https://home-finder.org.uk

The results will confirm which homes have been let to which Applicant Groups but won’t include any personal details.

Offering a home

Renting a home

Any changes in your circumstances might affect your registration or the size of property you will be considered for. Please get in touch (using the contact details on page 18) as soon as possible to tell us about:

a change to your address

a new contact phone number

a new addition to your household

anyone leaving your household.

Becoming a tenant If you become a tenant with Loretto Housing Association or one of our partner landlords, you will be required to pay your rent charge from day one when you get your keys. If you are entitled to Housing Benefit, this will be taken into account.

Your home will be at risk if you do not keep up with your rent payments.

Need more help? If you need more advice about finding a new home, becoming a tenant with Loretto Housing Association or one of our partner landlords or if you have any comments or complaints just get in touch. We’re here to help.

Changes in your circumstances

Legal details for our partner landlords

Loretto Housing Association, GHA and Cube are not-for-profit housing associations and registered societies under the Co-operative and Community Benefit Societies Act 2014. West Lothian Housing Partnership is registered as a company limited by guarantee. They are also recognised by HM Revenue and Customs as Scottish Charities and registered with The Scottish Housing Regulator under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 as registered social landlords. VAT registration number 135531726.

Landlord Registered number

Scottish charity number

Registered social landlord number

Loretto Housing Association Limted

1920R(S) SC007241 154

Glasgow Housing Association Limited

2572R(S) SCO34054 317

Cube Housing Association Limited

2327R(S) SCO33021 220

West Lothian Housing Partnership

188968 SCO31668 318

Would you like more information?LO

RLFALLO

C/FEB15

Call us on 01506 416 438.

You can email us at [email protected] or you can visit online at www.wlhp.org

Our address is 62 North Bridge Street, Bathgate, EH48 4PP

Call us on 0141 420 7950.

You can email us at [email protected] or you can visit online at www.lorettoha.co.uk

Our address is 2nd floor, Lipton House, 170 Crown Street, Glasgow, G5 9XD

Call us on 0800 479 7979 or on 0141 274 7979 from a mobile as it may be cheaper.

You can email us at [email protected] or you can visit online at www.gha.org.uk Our address is GHA Shop, 173 Trongate, Glasgow, G1 5HF

Call us on 0800 479 7979 or on 0141 274 7979 from a mobile as it may be cheaper.

You can email us at [email protected] or you can visit online atwww.cubehousing.co.uk Our address is Maryhill Burgh Halls, 24 Gairbraid Avenue, Glasgow, G20 8YE

looking for a new home to rent? here’s what you need to ... · looking for a home (go to page 9)...

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