Housing Allocations Policy

What Size Of Accommodation Can Be Chosen?

The rules which govern the size of accommodation needed by an applicant are as follows:

1 bedroom for:

each single person (age 16 and over)
each couple
each pair of children under 16 years old of same sex
each pair of children under 8 years old, regardless of sex
any remaining children who cannot be paired

For example, a couple with sons 13 and 6, and daughters 5 and 3 require accommodation as follows:

NOTES

1. Single applicants may apply to be held for either a one bedroom or a two-bedroom property. 

2. In some letting districts there are very few or no four-bedroom properties.  In these circumstances applicants may choose to be held for a 3-bedroom property in their chosen neighbourhoods.  The Divisional Housing Manager will advise applicants accordingly. (See also section 2.2 Note 7).

3. Lone parents will be treated in the same way as couples in calculating the size of accommodation offered.

4. Parents who have residential access to children can request one additional bedroom, regardless of the number of children involved.  Proof of access is required.  The Divisional Housing Manager will determine the size of accommodation required by a parent(s) who has residential access to a child/children.

5. If a member of the applicant’s household applies for housing in his/her own right, they will no longer be considered a part of the applicant’s household for re-housing.

6. Transfer applicants who are under-occupying accommodation as defined by section Under-Occupation of this policy may choose to be held for 1 bedroom more than they require, to help utilise stock. 

7. Couples without children can choose one extra bedroom. 

8. Applicants with a registered date of application before 01/04/02, have a preserved right to be held for 1 bedroom more than they require, even if they no longer qualify for an additional bedroom under the above rules.  If they choose to amend their application to a smaller property, the preserved right no longer applies.

9. No applicants will be held for a 4 bedroom property if they actually require less than this.

10. Applicants with a medical priority may be considered for an additional bedroom where a particular condition warrants this.

11. South Ayrshire Council does not have stock larger than 4 bedrooms.  Where a large family are assessed as requiring more than  4-bedrooms an assessment should be made as to whether the allocation of a 4 bedroom property would constitute overcrowding in terms of Part VII of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987.  In such cases consideration must be given to finding alternative housing solutions, for example, alteration of existing stock.

The Housing and Transfer Lists

Applicants shall receive up to four offers of accommodation. If the applicant refuses the fourth offer of accommodation, the application shall be suspended for one year from the date the offer was refused, with no loss of waiting time points. 

The application shall be reactivated at the end of the one-year suspension and the applicant shall be entitled to four more offers before a further period of suspension shall apply.

The Divisional Housing Manager shall have discretion to waive an applicant's refusal of an offer where there are valid reasons or exceptional circumstances.

If the Council nominates an applicant for housing by a registered social landlord (RSL), an offer made by the RSL to the applicant shall qualify as an offer made by the Council under this policy.

The Homeless List

Homeless applicants will receive 2 offers of accommodation.