Choice Based Lettings FAQs

Choice Based Letting Scheme is a method that can be used for the allocation of a property and offers more choice and involvement for approved housing and transfer applicants in selecting a secure housing solution. Waterford City & County Council operates the CBL Scheme to allow approved applicants to express an interest in a suitable properties in any area. A ‘suitable’ property is one that matches the applicant‘s approved housing needs.

Please note that for those applicants that express an interest in a CBL property, only those whose household composition suits the property type will be considered i.e. the number of bedrooms that applicants are approved for.

Also note that you will need to log in every week to check whether you wish to express an interest in the properties advertised in that week. The properties will appear on our website from 9 a.m. on Fridays to 5 p.m. on Thursdays. If there are no properties for the week, the website will state this.

There will be a wide range of secure housing solutions advertised on CBL such as Council properties, Long Term Lease properties, Approved Housing Body properties and properties provided under Public Private Partnerships, all established and recognised methods of providing secure quality housing and permanent housing solutions.

Some Council properties that are wheelchair accessible or properties required for particular circumstances such as elderly units, may not be advertised on CBL. The properties advertised on CBL will be located in various locations in the City & County.

The properties will be advertised on the Council’s website under the heading Choice Based Lettings. We will keep the list of available properties up-to-date but you will need to check it every week. New properties will be advertised on a Friday (9am) and will remain open for expressions of interest until the following Thursday (12pm).

Yes. The properties may be advertised before works on the property, to bring it up to normal standards for letting, are completed. However, all properties are brought up to standard prior to formal hand over of keys.

If there is more than one household interested in letting the property that you are interested in, we will decide which household is allocated the property. When deciding this, we will take account of factors such as:

• your waiting time on the housing list
• your family size
• the type of property needed
• your category under the Allocation Scheme
• good Estate Management & Garda vetting

As per the Tenant Purchase Scheme regulations there many types of units that cannot be purchased. See the tenant purchase scheme section for a list of these units.

You must express an interest on the property online via the Council's website. Please note that the Council will make contact with the successful applicant only.

Please note that contact made by Waterford City & County Council with the applicant household which it is considering for allocation under Choice Based Letting, does not constitute an official offer of housing, until such time as that applicant household has passed the Garda vetting procedure of Waterford City & County Council. This procedure comprises of a Garda check and Estate Management clearance and a possible interview, as well as the provision of up-to-date information for your housing file.

You will not be able to view the property before formal allocation.

This is in line with the Council’s current policy. By expressing an interest in the council property you are committing to taking that property, if approved.

Please note that contact made by Waterford City & County Council with the applicant which it is considering for allocation under choice based letting does not constitute an official offer of housing until such time as that applicant & their household have passed the Garda vetting procedure of Waterford City & County Council. This procedure comprises of a Garda check and Estate Management clearance and possible interview as well as the provision of up-to-date information for your housing file.

Yes, as you will be deemed to be adequately housed.

If you are housed through CBL, you are removed from the social housing support waiting list. Should you refuse an offer of a property that you expressed an interest in, you will not be entitled to make further expressions of interest on further CBL properties for a period of one year.

Yes.
Provided that you are eligible for a transfer under the current transfer policy and that up-to-date rent returns have been made on your file and your rent is paid up-to-date.

Applicants on the housing waiting list can express interest online in CBL properties advertised. If applicants do not express an interest in a property or the properties advertised, they will not be considered for them.

Yes, you can submit an expression of interest in a property outside of your chosen 3 areas of choice.

No, the system is not first-come, first-served.
Allocations are made in accordance with the Allocations Scheme.  You can make your choice at any stage during the week.  New properties will be advertised on a Friday (9am) and will remain open for expressions of interest until the following Thursday (12 noon).

If there is more than one household interested in letting the property that you are interested in, we will decide which household, if any, is allocated the property. When deciding this, we will take account of factors such as:

• your waiting time on Waterford City & County Council’s housing list
• your family size
• the type of property needed
• your category under the Allocation Scheme
• good Estate Management & Garda vetting

No.
You will have to express interest online again.

Please note that Waterford City & County Council reserves the right not to allocate a property under Choice Based Letting to applicants and reserves the right to re-advertise the property again in another time period.

Late submissions will not be taken into consideration and you will not be considered for the allocation of that property if you have not expressed an interest in it. Please note that Waterford City & County Council does not accept responsibility for applicants who miss the deadline to express their interest in a property this scheme.

Your time will remain the same. However if you do not express interest in a property or in properties online, you will not be considered for them.

You can place one expression of interest per property advertised. You can place an expression of interest for more than one property.

HAP – Yes you can submit an expression of interest.
RAS & Long Term Leasing – No you cannot submit an expression of interest as you are adequately housed. However, if you are approved for a transfer you will be able to submit an expression of interest.

A LTL property is a unit secured under a Long-Term Lease agreement by Local Authority from property owner for a period of up to 25 years. Under the arrangement, Waterford City & County Council will be the landlord to the tenants. The Council will manage and provide support to tenants of LTL properties in the same way it manages & supports tenants of other social housing the Council provides.

No, you cannot purchase an LTL property.

Waterford City & County Council is your landlord therefore your rent will be assessed in accordance with the Council’s current differential rent scheme and you pay your weekly rent to Waterford City & County Council.

Yes, your tenancy of an LTL property is secure for the duration of the long term lease agreement and the Council will be responsible for your housing need when the lease agreement expires if it is not renewed.

You will be suspended from CBL for 12 months.

Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) are independent, not-for-profit organisations that provide affordable rented housing for people who cannot afford to pay rent or buy their own homes; or for particular groups, such as older people or homeless people.

No, you cannot purchase an AHB property.

The AHB is your landlord therefore your rent will be assessed in accordance with the AHB’s rent scheme.

Yes, your tenancy of an AHB property is secure once you adhere to the terms of your tenancy agreement, this is no different to a Council tenancy.

The Council will nominate you for the tenancy with the AHB and the AHB will then arrange to interview you. Following their assessment they will advise the Council if they wish to proceed with an offer of a tenancy to you.

You will be suspended from CBL for 12 months.

Yes, you can apply to the AHB after two years for a transfer. To be approved for a transfer you must meet the local authority’s transfer eligibility criteria.

PPP housing projects are where a local authority enters into a contract with a private company to build, finance and maintain new housing units on local authority/state owned land. The private company services the units (upkeeps and maintains) and following the end of the service contract the units return to the local authority. The private company are responsible for the availability of the units for the duration of the service agreement and the local authority are responsible for the allocation of the units. The units revert to the local authority at the end of the agreement.

The private company can engage an Approved Housing Body to upkeep and maintain the properties and manage the tenancies on their behalf.

No, you cannot purchase a PPP property.

Your rent will be assessed in accordance with the Council’s differential rent scheme and your weekly rent will be paid to the PPP company/AHB.

Yes, your tenancy of a PPP property is secure once you adhere to the terms of your tenancy agreement, this is no different to a Council tenancy.

The Council will nominate you for the tenancy with the PPP company/AHB and the PPP company/AHB will then arrange to interview you. Following their assessment they will advise the Council if they wish to proceed with an offer of a tenancy to you.

You will be suspended from CBL for 12 months.

Yes, you can apply to the PPP company/AHB for a transfer after two years subject to certain criteria set out by the PPP company/AHB.