FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

The waiting list can change on a daily basis, as the system is points based to reflect the circumstances of the applicant. Points are allocated in accordance with the Allocation Scheme.

Points are assigned depending on your current circumstances.
Priority is given to those occupying unsanitary / uninhabitable accommodation or those who are found to be homeless after an investigation has been undertaken.
Points are added or removed if your situation changes.

Bridgend Council no longer own any council houses, flats or sheltered housing complexes. The housing stock was transferred in September 2003 to Valleys to Coast Housing (V2C), which was formed as an independent, not-for-profit housing association following a massive tenant vote of approval in November 2002. Although the Council no longer own housing stock within the County Borough, lettings are offered to people when nominated by Bridgend County Borough Council to the housing associations.

This is a very difficult question to answer. There are lots of different things that will determine when a property will become available.
Some areas have a large number of available properties while others do not. Even if you are top of the waiting list for a specific area it still depends on when a property becomes available in that area.
Don’t forget the waiting list can change on a daily basis.

All properties are owned and managed by the housing associations.
Their officers will contact you to arrange an interview when you have been nominated for a property.

All applicants are entitled to two reasonable offers of accommodation.
If two reasonable offers are refused then your application will be reviewed and your points may be revised. Your application may be suspended for 12 months.

This will depend on your circumstances :
Are you homeless (a) today, (b) within 28 days or (c) longer?
If (a) an emergency appointment is needed as soon as possible. You may have to wait for some time but you will be seen on the same day you contact us.
If (b) an appointment should be booked within the next 14 days dependent on when you are actually homeless.
If (c) your contact details will be passed to the Housing Options, Homelessness and Innovation Team along with a brief overview of the housing situation.
If you have not completed a Housing Register Waiting List application at this point then we will provide one for you to complete while you wait or for you to take away and complete.

Have you received a written notice?
If not, your landlord has to issue you with a legal notice. Nobody can ask you to leave your property without going through the correct legal process. Even if you have not signed a tenancy agreement you still have legal rights to remain there while a certain legal procedure is followed.
The Housing Options, Homelessness and Innovation Team will be able to give you advice regarding your legal rights.

There is a list of accommodation that is currently available through the Private Rented Sector but this is not comprehensive and you can find more properties in local papers, classified adverts and local letting agencies.

This will depend on where the property is, what size the property is and what your financial circumstances are. Local Housing Allowance is a new way of working out new claims of Housing Benefit for tenants renting accommodation from a private landlord. It also affects tenants already getting Housing Benefit who move into accommodation rented from a private landlord. Local Housing Allowance came into effect on 7 April 2008. If you live in council accommodation or other social housing, Local Housing Allowance will not affect you.

A bond certificate is a guarantee given to landlords instead of cash.
Most private rented tenancies are initially for 6 months. To access a private rented property landlords usually require 1 months rent in advance and 1 month rent as a Bond.
Monies for bonds can be raised through the credit union as a loan.
There is a Bond Board scheme in Bridgend that is managed by The Wallich, a local charity that work with homeless or potentially homeless people.
Referral to the Bond Board is only available through the Council.
The Wallich will issue a bond if:

a) You are threatened with homelessness or you are homeless

b) You are on a low income

c) Your weekly top-up is an affordable level.

If a Landlord receives a cash bond from a tenant it has to be registered within 14 days with one of three tenancy deposit protection schemes. If it is not registered then the landlord has broken the law and is unable to serve a Section 21 notice.
If a landlord has not registered the bond, the tenant can claim compensation worth three times the original bond through the courts.
If a bond certificate is issued, the landlord can claim for damages and non payments of rent through the bond certificate issuer up to the value of one months rent.
If the landlord makes a claim against the bond, no future bonds will be issued until your bond debt is repaid.