When you register for a Transfer or for re-housing as a Homeseeker, your application will be assessed by your landlord or Council. You will be placed in one of the priority bands described below.
If you disagree with your priority band you can ask the council or housing association, which holds your registration details to review your banding.
When bids are considered for advertised properties, priority will be given to bids from people in the highest priority band. If people from the same priority band bid for the same property the person with the earliest registration date will be considered first. For Band A, priority is given to applicants on the date they moved into Band A. Band B – E is based on registration date.
If your circumstances change your application will be reassessed and banded accordingly with your effective registration date.
Below is a general guide to the Priority Bands. You should refer to the Common Allocations Policy for full details
Emergency/Priority (Band A)
The following applicants will fall into this banding:A1 An applicant is assessed as having an “emergency” medical or welfare need to move including grounds relating to a disability and this is seriously affected by their current housing.
A2 An applicant has been accepted as homeless and the full duty to secure accommodation has been accepted by Spelthorne, Elmbridge or Runnymede Council and
1. the applicant has resided in temporary hostel or mobile home accommodation for twelve months or more; or
2. the applicant is residing in temporary accommodation which the council deems to be unsuitable for another reason.
A3 An applicant’s life would be in immediate danger if they continued to live in their current accommodation and this has been substantiated.
A4 An applicant is a tenant of any tenure who needs to move because their home is to be demolished or redeveloped within the next six months.
A5A An applicant is a social housing tenant and is either residing
in an adapted property where the adaptations are no longer required and the property is considered to be high demand.
A5B An applicant is a social housing tenant and is under occupying a property and the property they currently occupy is considered to be of high demand.
A6 An applicant is occupying a property that is subject to a compulsory purchase order and there is a statutory duty upon the Council to move them.
A7 An applicant is assessed as statutorily overcrowded as set out in Part 10 of the Housing Act 1985 (but only where the applicant has not worsened their housing situation without good reason).
A8 An applicant has been nominated and accepted via the National Witness Mobility Service.
A9 An applicant’s needs fit into two or more categories in Band B and is judged to have a higher overall priority following an assessment by a senior officer.
Cases that fall into any of the above categories will be placed in Band A unless they do not have a local connection with Spelthorne Borough Council, Elmbridge Borough Council or Runnymede Borough Council in which case they will be placed in Band D.
Urgent Need to Move (Band B)
The following applicants will fall into this banding:B1 An applicant is assessed as having an “urgent” medical or welfare needs to be moved and this is seriously affected by their current housing.
B2 An applicant needs to move because of harassment or threat of violence but not judged as serious as Band A.
B3 An applicant has been accepted as homeless and a duty to secure accommodation has been accepted by Spelthorne Borough Council, Elmbridge Borough Council or Runnymede Borough Council.
B4 An applicant is overcrowded and requires two or more additional bedrooms.
B5 An applicant is a social housing tenant of one of the partner organisations and is under occupying a property in the Sub-Region.
B6 An applicant’s accommodation lacks basic facilities, i.e. kitchen, bathroom or toilet and this cannotbe provided by the landlord/owner within a reasonable timescale.
B7 An applicant’s accommodation has been assessed under the Housing Health & Safety Rating System as not reasonably suitable for occupation and cannot be rectified by the owner/landlord at a reasonable cost or timescale.
B8 An applicant is living in supported housing and has been assessed as no longer needing the support and the accommodation is needed by other applicants.
B9 An applicant is pregnant or has at least one dependant child and is living in accommodation where the facilities are shared with others and they lack at least one bedroom.
B10 An applicant needs to move because their home is to be demolished or redeveloped within the next twelve months.
B11 An applicant is unintentionally threatened with homelessness and has a priority need (within the meaning of Part VII of the Housing Act 1996, as amended by the
Homelessness Act 2002) and this has been validated and acted upon by the Housing Options Team and there are no other prevention options available.
B12 Care Leavers with Children’s Services in Surrey who it has been agreed have a local connection with the SEARCH housing authorities during the time they were in Care and who are aged 18 to 21 years old.
B13 An applicant’s household’s needs fit into two or more categories in Band C and the applicant is judged to have a higher overall priority following an assessment by a senior officer (sharing facilities does not count as a category for the purposes of this assessment).
Identified Housing Need (Band C)
The following applicants will fall into this banding:C1 applicant is assessed as having an “identified” medical or welfare need to move including grounds relating to a disability and this is seriously affected by their current housing.
C2 An applicant is living in private sector accommodation and has an Assured Shorthold Tenancy.
C3 An applicant has been assessed as homeless but is not in priority need within the meaning of Part VII of the Housing Act 1996, as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002.
C4 An applicant has been assessed as intentionally homeless but is in priority need within the meaning of Part Vll of the Housing Act 1996 as amended by the Homelessness Act 2002.
C5 An applicant is overcrowded and requires one additional bedroom.
C6 An applicant is living in accommodation where the facilities are shared with others
(Note - sharing facilities does not count as a factor in deciding if an application should move to a higher band).
C7 An applicant has some other compelling need to live in the Borough of Spelthorne Borough Council, Elmbridge Borough Council or Runnymede Borough Council which, if not met, will cause hardship.
Cases that fall into any of the above categories will be placed in Band C unless they do not have a local connection with Spelthorne Borough Council, Elmbridge Borough Council or Runnymede Borough Council in which case they will be placed in Band D.
Housing Need But No Local Connection (Band D)
Applicants who have any of the needs mentioned in Bands A-C will be placed in this banding if they do not have a local connection with Spelthorne Borough Council, Elmbridge Borough Council or Runnymede Borough Council.
Low or No Housing Need (Band E)
The following applicants will fall into this banding:E1 An applicant does not fit into any of the categories in Band A, B, C or D.
E2 An applicant has deliberately worsened their housing circumstances within the last three years to get more priority on the housing register.
E3 An applicant has given up accommodation within the last three years that was suitable for their needs and by doing so, has knowingly worsened their housing circumstances.
E4 An applicant can afford to buy or part-buy a property in the private sector that is suitable for their needs.
E5 An applicant has assets that could be used to obtain accommodation suitable to their needs.
E6 An applicant owned a property that was suitable for their needs but transferred or sold the property within the last three years when it was reasonable for them to continue living there