Our decision-making process
All our available homes are listed on Homefinder Somerset, and anyone who is registered on Homefinder and meets the eligibility criteria for the home is welcome to bid.
All bids received on Homefinder are passed to Shal for review. If your bid is successful, we will contact you and go through the following steps:
- Visit you in your current home to go through your application. This will also involve meeting everyone who is part of the application
- Request a reference from your current landlord, if you have one
- Complete a pre-tenancy assessment, including an affordability check and independent benefits calculator to make sure you are claiming everything you are entitled to.
- Talk through your needs to make sure the home is right for you and your household.
Once all the steps have been completed, and we’re confident the home is suitable for you and you can afford to pay the rent, you will be offered a tenancy. Anyone moving in to a Shal home will need to pay 1 months’ rent in advance prior to the tenancy start date.
Local connection criteria
Some homes can only be rented to people with a connection to the area – this is the local connection criteria. When it applies to one of our homes, we will make this clear in the Homefinder listing. The criteria is decided by the Local Authority and Parish Council before the homes are built.
The local connection criteria include
- Currently living in the parish or surrounding area
- Having a strong local connection to the area
- Having a close family association to the area
- Having previously lived in the area, or
- Having permanent employment in the area.
If you apply for a home that is subject to the local connection criteria, this will be discussed with you when we meet to go through your application.
Tenancies
If you application is successful, you will be offered an assured tenancy for your home. This means we can offer you a home for life, as long as you don’t break the terms of your tenancy agreement. More details about assured tenancies and how we manage these can be found on our policies page
Mutual exchange
You may be able to swap your tenancy with another social housing tenant. You can register on the Homeswapper website to try and find a suitable exchange.
Once you have found a tenant you would like to swap with, please contact us so we can discuss the process with you and send you the necessary paperwork and application forms. You can also contact us if you have any questions about the process, or would like more information.
You can contact your Housing Officer in the following ways:
- Call 01278 444344 – lines are open 7.30 am – 4.30 pm
- Text Rents (plus a message) to 07984 355553
- Email reception@shal.org
