Housing Options Guide

Applying for Council Housing

Who Can Apply for Council Housing?

In line with the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, anyone aged 16 years or over can apply for housing, and their housing need will be registered by South Ayrshire Council.

However, only those applicants who meet the criteria outlined below will be actively considered for offers of housing (providing that they also meet all other rules outlined in the Council’s Allocations Policy).

Eligiblity for Housing

Applicants should be either:

16 years or over and be a permanent resident in South Ayrshire;

Or, If living outwith South Ayrshire, meet one or more of the following criteria:

Be employed within South Ayrshire;
Have accepted an offer of employment within South Ayrshire;
Be unemployed and actively seeking employment in South Ayrshire;
Wish to move to South Ayrshire to be near a relative or carer;
Have exceptional social or medical reasons for moving to South Ayrshire;
Wish to move to South Ayrshire because of harassment;
Wish to move to South Ayrshire because he / she runs the risk of domestic violence.

Further detail on applying for housing under one of these criteria can be found in the Council’s Allocations Policy.

How to Apply for Council Housing

Anyone who wishes to apply for Council housing must fill in our housing application form. The same form will be completed regardless of whether you are applying for general needs or sheltered housing. The form must then be sent or e-mailled to your local housing office.

Forms can be obtained by writing to, phoning, e-mailing or visiting your local Area Housing Office. There are 6 Area Housing offices as follows:

Area Housing Office	Address	Telephone	E-Mail Address
Ayr	Riverside House, 21 River Terrace, Ayr. KA8 0AU	01292 616 000	AyrNorthHousing@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
Prestwick	2-6 The Cross, Prestwick. KA9 1AN	01292 671 666	PrestwickHousing@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
Troon	Municipal Buildings, South Beach, Troon. KA10 6EF	01292 313 555	TroonHousing@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
Maybole	64 High Street, Maybole. KA19 7BZ	01655 882 124	MayboleHousing@south-ayrshire.gov.uk
Girvan	17-19 Knockcushan Street, Grivan. KA26 9AG	01465 712 299	GirvanHousing@south-ayrshir.gov.uk
Homeless Team	80-88 Kyle Street, Ayr KA7 1RZ	01292 611600	HomelessTeam@south-ayrshire.gov.uk

Providing An Accurate Application Form

It is vitally important that you provide accurate information when completing the form.

If you are having difficulty filling in the Housing Application form, our allocations staff based in the Area Housing Offices will be happy to help you.

It is better to provide too much information than to lose valuable points or an opportunity for housing as result of incomplete information.

It is also important that the information on your form reflects your true circumstances, some of which may be of a personal nature.

This information is confidential and is protected under the Data Protection Act 1988.

The Application Process

Allocations staff will carefully check the form, ensuring the applicant is eligible to join the waiting list. Points are then awarded according to each aspect of housing need e.g. overcrowding, sharing amenities.

The pointing criteria that apply to mainstream housing applicants are outlined in the table below:-

Circumstances	Points Awarded
Overcrowding	10 points for each bedroom you do not have.
Sharing Facilities	8 points for each facility you have to share.
Living in Bad / Unsatisfactory Housing Conditions	10 points for each facility you do not have or fault in the house
Insecurity of Tenure	10 points to applicants who have a legal right to occupy a property but do not have a Scottish Secure Tenancy agreement. 15 points to applicants who do not have a legal right to occupy a property.
Homeless	20 points to applicants assessed as homeless under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, who are not accommodated by South Ayrshire Council. 25 points to applicants assessed as homeless under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, who are accommodated by South Ayrshire Council.
Medical Needs	PMed - you will be rehoused as soon as a suitable property becomes vacant. General (5 points)Non – Priority (0 points)
Waiting Time	2 points will be awarded for every 6 months you are on the waiting list.
H.M. Forces	2 points will be awarded for every 6 months you are on the waiting list.
Living in Employer's Accommodation	2 points will be awarded for every 6 months.
Discharge from Hospital / Prison / Other Institution	2 points for every 6 months
Living in a Caravan	10 points
No Fixed Abode / Permanent Address	24 points will be awarded if you do not have a permanent home

When the application has been checked and the appropriate number of points awarded, you will be sent a summary of your application in writing, which outlines the number of points, the types of property and areas you are held for.

You will also be given an application reference number, which you can use when enquiring about your application.

IMPORTANT NOTE

Applicants who have housing-related debt, such as former tenant rent arrears owed to the Council (or that of another local authority or Registered Social Landlord), can register their need for housing, but will only be eligible to receive offers of housing if they clear the debt in full, or make and maintain a suitable repayment arrangement with the whoever the debt is owed to.

Further detail on making suitable repayment arrangements can be found in the Council’s Allocations Policy.

What Choices Can I Make?

Waiting List applicants can choose as many or as few house types, heating types and areas as they wish to put on their application. No suspensions will apply for amending these choices during the life of the application. The size of house that an applicant will be eligible for is outlined in the section on “Council Housing”.

Applicants should note that by limiting their choices they are restricting the potential to receive offers of a suitable property.

Staff at the Area Housing Offices will be happy to advise applicants on any issues relating to choices made on their application.

Changes in Circumstances

It is very important that, if your circumstances change after you have submitted the form, you notify allocation staff as soon as possible in writing of these changes, e.g. you have a baby; someone moves out of the household; or you move address.

This will allow your application to be amended to your new circumstances and ensure you are awarded the correct points.

If you fail to do this you may miss out on points that you are entitled to or may even have an offer of housing withdrawn if you have been incorrectly pointed.

If you are awarded medical points for rehousing and you move address, you will also need to complete new medical forms to reflect your new circumstances. (Details of medical points are given below).

Deliberately Worsening Your Circumstances

Please note that if you move address, and as a result you worsen your circumstances (i.e. you become overcrowded or start sharing amenities with another household), you must have a good reason to do so.

An example of good reason might be that a relationship has broken down or a private tenancy has expired and you are unable to renew the lease.

Documentary evidence may be required, such as a letter from your landlord or solicitor.

How Long Will I Be Held On The Waiting List For?

Applications are held on the waiting list indefinitely until you are housed. However, regular reviews of the list are carried out and you must complete and return a review form if and when required.

Failure to return a review form will result in your application being cancelled and the loss of any waiting time points you have accrued.

Therefore, as already mentioned above, it is very important to notify the Council of any change in your circumstances, especially if you move address.

Similarly, if the housing department writes to you for any other matter regarding your application and you do not respond within the specified time, your application may also be cancelled, with the loss of your waiting time points.

It is, therefore, in your best interests to maintain regular contact with allocations staff and notify them as soon as possible of any changes in your circumstances.

Any material change in circumstances could lead to a change in your points level or list on which you are held.

Position On The List

You can make enquiries at your local area office regarding your current position on the list.

However, it must be borne in mind that however near the top of the waiting list you are at a particular moment in time, other new applicants or existing applicants may be assessed or re-assessed and receive a higher number of points than you, and therefore be housed before you.

Further still, applicants whose applications are currently suspended for any reason, may serve their suspensions and come back on to the list with more points than you, and therefore be housed before you.

Number Of Offers

You will normally be made a maximum of 4 offers.

If you refuse a fourth offer without justifiable cause (in the opinion of the Head of Regeneration and Housing), the Council will not make another offer for a period of 1 year, subject to an appeal in writing to the Divisional Housing Manager.

Waiting time points will be awarded during this period of suspension.