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Housing transfers
This leaflet is intended to assist tenants of social landlords such as Housing Associations who wish to seek transfers to alternative accommodation.
Seeking Advice & Assistance
This leaflet is intended to give general guidance only and is not to be treated as giving specific advice in respect of particular cases.
If you would like advice from Coventry Law Centre we offer a telephone advice service on Wednesday and Friday mornings between 10:00am and 12noon. Please call 76253167 and your call will be answered by a specialist housing advisor.
Coventry Law Centre
The Bridge
Broadgate
Coventry CV1 1NG
Tel: 024 76223053
Transfers
Am I entitled to a transfer?
The law gives local authorities, Housing Association and other social landlords a considerable amount of freedom in dealing with transfer applications. There is no absolute right to a transfer and no right to be transferred to a particular area or particular property. Nevertheless, social landlords do have policies regarding transfers and if they have such policies they should stick to them. If you are applying for a transfer then you should obtain from your landlord a copy of their transfer policy and should read it carefully.
Priority
Most social landlords have a priority scheme. This gives preference to people who need moves for specific reasons. Usually this will relate to matters such as overcrowding or to medical problems particularly where the problem may be eased by a move. If you feel that you should have medical priority, it will be helpful for you to obtain letters in support from people such as doctors, health visitors and social workers. Any letters written by people in support of your application should not only set out your medical problems but should also try to explain how moving will make things better.
Choosing areas
Inevitably, some areas of a city are more popular than others. If you want to be transferred to the more popular areas of a city or town it might be that you would have to wait a very long time, particularly if you are given little or no priority. Similarly, if you only want to move to a house rather than a flat then this too might make your wait substantially longer. It is useful when considering which areas to apply for, to ask your landlords to give you guidance as to how long you might expect to wait for an offer. They will not be able to give a precise time but should be able to give you some sort of idea. In Coventry, areas where you might be offered a property more quickly could include Hillfields, Stoke Aldermoor, Stoke Heath, Wood End or Willenhall. Areas where the wait is likely to be very substantial would include Cheylesmore, Styvechale and Earlsdon.
Emergency moves
Most social landlords, including in Coventry, Whitefriars and most of the Housing Associations, will allow a move outside the scope of normal policy in very acute circumstances. Typical examples of circumstances in which such a move could be made would be where a tenant is being harassed by neighbours and/or where there is a threat to a tenant's safety. The moves are not designed to improve a persons housing situation so any move granted would probably be to a similar property in an area of similar demand. If you are seeking a move of this sort and, in particular, if you have been refused such a move then you should ask to see a copy of your social landlord's policy regarding emergency moves. Evidence to support what you say is also helpful, for example, if you have been harassed and/or been the victim of violence or threats of violence then evidence from the police might be particularly useful.
Rent arrears
Many problems are caused by a social landlord's policy of refusing to transfer people who have rent arrears. This is a policy, which social landlords tend to stick to very strictly. If you feel that your case demands special consideration, perhaps because the arrears came about through no fault of your own or because your need for a move is very urgent, then you should consider taking legal advice.
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7622 3053