Social housing offers

When will I receive an offer of a property?

You will receive an offer of a property when your turn has been reached. The time you wait for an offer of a property depends on:

• the area you need to live in
• the number of properties in the area and how often they become vacant
• the type of property you need
• the number of bedrooms you need.

What type of property will I be offered?

Depending on the type of housing provider you selected in your housing application, you may be offered a property owned or managed by either:

• DCJ Housing or
• a community housing organisation.

You will be offered a property that matches your housing needs.

How many offers of a property will I receive?

Most applicants will receive a maximum of 2 offers. The number of offers you receive will be discussed with you and then confirmed before you receive an offer.

What is a reasonable offer?

A reasonable offer is one that matches:

• the number of bedrooms your household needs
• your approved allocation zone (not the suburb you would like to live in)
• any special needs or medical/disability requirements demonstrated in your application.

A provider will not consider an offer is unreasonable just because you:

• don’t like the suburb
• don’t like the neighbours
• don’t like the look of the property, or
• don’t like the property because of personal preferences.

For this reason, you should think carefully about rejecting the offer you are given. Providers will make every effort to ensure that the property offered meets your housing needs.

How will I receive an offer?

When a suitable property becomes available, a housing provider will contact you to make the offer.

What happens when I receive an offer?

Generally, you will have 2 days from receiving the offer to inspect the property, decide whether the property suits your needs and advise the housing provider whether you will accept or reject the property.

If you do not respond within the 2 days, the provider will assume you are not interested in the property, and it will be offered to another applicant.

What happens if I accept the property?

The provider will advise you when you can move in and will arrange a time for you to sign a lease.

What happens if I reject the offer of a property?

You will need to provide a letter and any other supporting documents explaining your reasons for rejecting the offer of a property. The housing provider will tell you how long you have to do this.

The provider who gave you the offer will then decide if the offer was reasonable by considering your reasons for rejecting the offer and any information you provided.

If the property met your housing needs, it will be considered a reasonable offer. If the property did not meet your housing needs, it will not be considered a reasonable offer.

The provider will send you written advice confirming the decision and what will happen next. If you have rejected your final reasonable offer, your name will be taken off the housing register and you will not receive any further offers.

If you re-apply for housing or a transfer, your waiting time will start from the date of your application.

What if I disagree with the decision?

If you believe that the decision made is wrong, you should first discuss your concerns with the person who made you the offer.

If you still believe the decision made was wrong, you can ask to have the decision reviewed. See appeals and reviewing decisions for more information.