Seaside & Country Homes FAQs

Seaside & Country Homes is open to existing social housing tenants living in London, where at least one member of the household is age 55 or above.

• If you are making a joint application the lead applicant must be at least 55 years of age and must be a current tenant of the property on the application
• If you intend to add a household member under the age of 55 they must be either your partner or spouse, current joint tenant, registered carer or dependent adult child. Second applicants aged under 55 are not able to become joint tenants of, or have succession rights to, Seaside and Country Homes properties.
• We can consider three person households where two members are a couple and the third person is a carer or dependant adult child. Please contact us if you are unsure of your eligibility.
• Applicants should have no rent arrears or history of anti-social behaviour, and should not be going through possession proceedings or being evicted.

Applicants should have no rent arrears or history of anti-social behaviour, and should not be going through possession proceedings or being evicted

*A dependant adult child is someone who is unable to sustain their own tenancy and needs substantial support. Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of this from their GP, other medical professional or support worker.

*Evidence will also be required for those applicants on the application form who are listed as a carer.

We have homes mainly across the south coast of England. Some are flats and some are bungalows. For more information, please see the Seaside & Country Homes Areas and Properties Guide.

You can choose a maximum of 10 locations (towns not counties). The locations available to you will depend on demand levels and the size of the property you occupy in London. Your priority is assessed based primarily on the number of bedrooms in your current home so if you have a smaller home you will not be able to consider the high demand areas as you will have insufficient priority to be considered. Read more about the locations of properties you can consider.

We prioritise applicants by the size and type of property they currently occupy. Therefore, the larger the home you vacate, the higher priority you will receive. This is because there is huge demand for social housing in London from people who are in properties that are too small for them, in temporary accommodation or homeless.

When you apply, the system will automatically calculate your priority based on the size of property you currently reside in and will only let you select locations where you have a realistic chance of receiving an offer. Therefore, you may find that some areas you are interested in are not available for you to register for. You can select up to 10 locations in total but please note that we cannot guarantee a move to everyone who applies.

We are unable to tell you where you are on a waiting list, or how long it might take to receive an offer. Certain criteria are taken into account when matching to a property including size of current property, locations chosen, bathroom type needed, if you have pets and the number of properties that become available.

As many of our Seaside & Country Homes applicants have medical needs, we are unable to prioritise applicants for this reason. Seaside & Country Homes' applicants are expected to be able to independently maintain their tenancy when they move as the properties on offer may have stairs and/or gardens. You may wish to discuss your application with your landlord who could contact the Housing Mobility Team if there are other circumstances behind your reasons for wanting to move.

Yes, you can contact the Housing Mobility Team by email or letter explaining why you think your application has been reviewed incorrectly, or if your housing situation has changed. We will respond to you within five working days of receipt. A review does not necessarily mean that your priority will be altered.

Yes, they can but there are conditions on any additional applicants.

• If you are making a joint application the lead applicant must be at least 55 years of age and must be a current tenant of the property on the application.

• If you intend to add a household member under the age of 55, they must be either your partner or spouse, current joint tenant, registered carer or dependent adult child. Second applicants aged under 55 are not able to become joint tenants of, or have succession rights to, Seaside and Country Homes properties.

• We can consider three person households where two members are a couple, and the third person is a carer or *dependant adult child (see below* Please contact us if you are unsure of your eligibility.
• Applicants should have no rent arrears or history of anti-social behaviour and should not be going through possession proceedings or being evicted.

You should note that our two bedroom properties have one double and one single bedroom. Therefore, we cannot accept four person households or larger.

*A dependant adult child is someone who is unable to sustain their own tenancy and needs substantial support. Applicants will be asked to provide evidence of this from their GP, other medical professional, or support worker.

*Evidence will also be required for those applicants on the application form who are listed as a carer.

No. This is because we can only nominate people to properties when the current resident moves out. Usually around 150 households move each year and we have more than 1,000 people registered on the scheme.

It is very important that you read our Seaside & Country Homes Areas and Properties Guide before you make your application. It will detail all the areas where we have properties and you can choose up to a maximum of 10 locations only.

If you would like to apply you can fill in an application form online which can be found on our main Seaside and Country Homes page. Please contact us if you would like advice or assistance in completing this form.

To apply online please click on the 'Apply now' button and follow the guidance on screen.

We have two-bedroom bungalows and one- or two-bedroom flats. Please note the two-bedroom bungalows consist of one double and one single bedroom.

While many of our properties have a level access shower, no other adaptations come as standard across all of our properties. It is possible that further adaptations could be made, but this is something that the landlords of the Seaside & Country Homes properties would consider on a case-by-case basis. The only wheelchair accessible properties available through the scheme are the flats in Brighton. Please see the Seaside & Country Homes Areas and Properties Guide for further information.

The landlords who manage the properties will carry out any repairs and checks that they are required to do to comply with statutory and safety standards. However, it is unlikely that they will redecorate properties or make minor or cosmetic repairs or improvements. Some properties are in good condition when they become vacant whilst others may be in a much poorer state.

We will advise you of the condition, if possible, when we contact you to ask if you would like to be considered for a vacancy however please note we do not normally receive photos of the properties. You will be able to discuss further the condition of the property with the managing Housing Association and determine whether you or your family will be able to undertake any work or redecoration that may be necessary.

All our bungalows accept pets although there may be a limit on the number you can take with you (normally two). Most, though not all, of the flats do not accept pets. Please refer to the Seaside & Country Homes Areas and Properties Guide to find out whether pets are accepted where you want to live.

We recommend that you only select areas where you would be comfortable living and that meet your needs. Therefore, we strongly advise you choose locations you know well or where you have existing family connections. If you are not certain about a new area you may wish to visit first to be sure it’s suitable for you. If you change your mind about areas, you can contact the mobility team who can update your choices at any time.

We will always try to telephone and email you if you have successfully matched to a property. Please note, we will call all the numbers you have given us and we will leave a message if able to do so. We will try and give you at least 24 hrs to respond. Please check your answer phone and email messages regularly and ensure that we have the correct contact details for you. Please advise us if you have a new email, land line or mobile telephone number as soon as possible.

Once you have been contacted and you have confirmed that you wish to be put forward for a vacancy, the Seaside & Country Homes team will send your details via email to the managing Housing Association. Nominees will be contacted in priority order directly by the landlord.

We can provide further details on the process at time of nomination or upon request.

If we have nominated you as first in line, the landlord of the property will contact you to carry out a number of pre tenancy checks and this will include an affordability assessment. They are required to do this and must complete the assessment for every person/household that has been nominated. Once you pass the affordability you will then be invited to arrange a viewing. Usually if we have told you that you are lower than first on the list, the landlord will contact you only if those above you on the list have declined.

If you haven't heard from the landlord within a month, you should assume that you have been unsuccessful on this occasion, however the process can take several weeks to go through, and you may still be contacted. We are unable to advise applicants who are nominated second or third on the list if the property is let to the first applicant therefore, we will only contact you again if and when another suitable property becomes available.

Yes, you will have to view the property before being made an offer. In exceptional circumstances a family member may be able to view on your behalf. If you want this to happen you should discuss this with the landlord when they telephone to offer you a viewing.

No, although many people do. You have up to 48 hours (excluding weekends) from viewing the property to decide, as you may need some time to think about it or to discuss with your family or friends.

We accept that a move is an important decision and there may be a number of reasons why a property is not suitable for you. However, if you unreasonably refuse three properties you may be suspended from the scheme.

We will usually make you three offers*. If you refuse all three and we consider them to be reasonable (i.e. they are in one of your chosen areas and of the right size and type) we may suspend your application for three months and contact you to discuss if the scheme is appropriate for your needs. Therefore, it is essential that you are sure the areas you choose are of interest to you.

*Offers are only considered if you have agreed to be nominated and your details have been sent to the landlord. If you decline when initially contacted by phone, this will not count as refusal.

Normally, no. If you are unable to consider a move for a short period we can suspend your application temporarily. You will then need to inform us when you are ready to move again. If this period is more than six months we may need to request an update of your circumstances and tenancy details from your current landlord first.

This will depend on their age at the point that the succession is requested. If they have been living in the property as their main and principal home and they meet the minimum age criteria in place at that time, then it is possible that the landlord may agree a succession. If however, they are under the minimum age then it is unlikely this will be granted and so you need to consider this if you are considering moving with a younger person who will be living with you as part of your household.

No, as these properties are designated older person’s accommodation, they are excluded from the right to buy.

Since April 2013, some people living in a council or housing association home who have one or more spare bedrooms may have their housing benefit reduced. This could affect you if you move to a home with a spare bedroom through the Housing Moves or Seaside & Country Homes schemes. If you think you may have a shortfall in your housing benefit in the home you move to, you should speak to your current landlord. If you think you are affected and have moved, or are currently moving, to a new home through either of the schemes, you should speak to your new landlord about your options.

You may also wish to seek advice from the Citizens Advice Bureau.

You can also find more information on the government’s website: https://www.gov.uk/housing-benefit/what-youll-get

You can work out whether a home you are interested in is too big by using this bedroom calculator.

There is no entitlement, but some London boroughs and housing associations offer assistance to households who free up properties. Your current landlord will be able to advise you of anything they may be able to offer you.

Once you have moved out of London it will be impossible for you to be guaranteed a social tenancy should you wish to move back at any point. Therefore, you need to be certain that a move out of London will be suitable for you.

Please contact the Housing Mobility Team by email or letter. We will respond to you within ten working days of receipt.