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Frequently Asked Questions

Click the 'Register' button at the top right of the screen.
The properties advertised on Salford Home Search are mainly owned and managed by Housing Associations and Registered Social Housing Providers. Legally we have to check that you are eligible to register for housing. The information you provide will ensure the appropriate housing needs are awarded to you.
After logging in, you may update your contact numbers or email address by clicking on the edit button on the “Your Application” page. If you wish to update any other details on your application please click 'Have your Circumstances Changed?' You can then complete the change of circumstances form which will resemble the original application form. Please note that submitted change of circumstances forms will need to be validated by the Salford Home Search team and will mean your application is inactive until processed.
Yes. There are some people who are not eligible to be included on Salford Home Search. These are:
  • If you have no current housing need (for example if you are adequately housed in your current property with no threat of eviction or affordability issues)
  • If you have no local connection to Salford.
  • If you have deliberately worsened your own circumstances (for example leaving a tenancy with no suitable accommodation to move in to)
  • If you are subject to Immigration Control under the 1996 Asylum and Immigration Act
  • If you are from abroad and are not subject to immigration control but you are not habitually resident in the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or the Republic of Ireland.

If you or a member of your household has been guilty of unacceptable behaviour serious enough to make you or them unsuitable to be a tenant, for example:

  • Owing significant (current or former) rent arrears to any council, Registered Provider or private landlord. Applicants with arrears will be able to register on Salford Home Search if they are able to demonstrate that they have engaged with an appropriate repayment plan: i.e. At least 13 weeks repayment of arrears of up to £500, 19 weeks repayment of arrears up to £750 or repayment of arrears for 6 months for arrears over £750.
  • Owing rechargeable repairs to a landlord
  • Owing significant mortgage repayments.
  • Serious neighbour nuisance/annoyance including anti-social behaviour
  • Unspent criminal convictions where the applicant is considered a threat to neighbours and/or the community, including perpetrators of domestic abuse or hate crime.
  • Being convicted of using/allowing accommodation to be used for illegal and/or immoral purposes such as drug dealing.
  • Serious neglect, damage or abandonment of a previous property.
  • Allowing deterioration (due to ill treatment) of furniture/fittings provided by a landlord.
  • Abusive or threatening behaviour towards members of staff at the council or any accommodation provider.
  • Having committed an act of fraud, withheld, falsified or misrepresented information pertaining to access to public funds and/or services including obtaining a tenancy by deception.
  • Having lost previous accommodation provided in connection with employment due to misconduct.
  • Having been evicted for any other breach of tenancy conditions, regardless of tenure including sub-letting without permission, failure to report repairs, failing to allow contractors to enter the property to carry out maintenance and running a business from the property.

For further information please refer to Salford City Councils Allocations Policy which you can find in the Help Guides section.

 

You are able to reset your own password by clicking the forgotten password link on the sign in page

Salford Home Search applications will be placed into one of three categories on the housing register as follows:

General Housing Needs Category

Applicants are placed in the general needs category if they have a housing need, have not been awarded the main housing duty and do not require an accessible property

Statutory Homelessness Category - (section 193, Part VII, Housing Act 1996)

This category is for all applicants who have been awarded the main housing duty by Salford Housing Options Point, under Section 193, Part 7, Housing Act 1996 (as amended).

Accessible Accommodation Category

Properties advertised in this category are for applicants with a need for accessible accommodation. This category does not mean that an applicant will be rehoused any quicker than they would be if they were in the General Needs category, it means that their application is in the correct category for their requirements

Properties advertised in the Accessible Accommodation Category are split into 3 types:

 

  • SN1 Property suitable for a permanent wheelchair user who need to use a wheelchair for all aspects of daily living.

     

  • SN2 Ground floor property with level access for people who use a wheelchair outdoors but do not use a wheelchair indoors, they may however walk with difficulty and have difficulty climbing stairs.

     

  • SN3 Ground floor property or a property on one level, above ground in a block with lift access. For customers that do not use a wheelchair but may walk with difficulty and can manage one or two steps.
Read Salford City Council’s Allocations policy first and see what we take into account when we assess your category. If you still think your category is wrong, then contact Salford Home Search to discuss your application further.
If you have a medical need to move please complete the medical questions on your Salford Home Search application. If we require any supporting evidence from a medical professional, we will contact you or the professional. Please be aware that Doctors often charge you for a letter.
No, unfortunately Salford City Council’s Allocations policy does not allow additional bedrooms for access arrangements. Please only include children that are residing with you on a full time basis on your Salford Home Search application.

With the launch of the new Salford Home Search system the naming of the SN codes has changed slightly, to make them simpler to follow. The three SN codes on Salford Home Search are still categorised in the same way as before.

SN1 has remained the same

SN3 is now SN2

SN4 is now SN3

Once you have submitted your application and all requested supporting information, it can take up to 2 weeks for it to be processed. You may be asked for further supporting information before a decision can be made on your eligibility. When a decision has been made, you will be sent an email which will explain that decision. Only contact us if you haven’t heard from us within 3 weeks.
No, medical questionnaires are processed separately from the rest of a Salford Home Search application. Contact will be made once this has been processed.
Once you have completed your Salford Home Search application, providing you are eligible you will need to provide documents for it to be activated. The easiest way to do this is to upload the documents to Salford Home Search. You will not be able to bid for properties until your documents have been provided and verified
To be able to bid on a property, you will need to have an active application, know your email address and password. You can then express an interest in homes by using this website. You can look through the available properties on Salford Home Search and select the property you wish to bid on. You will need to be logged in to place a bid. Salford Home Search will only allow you to place bids for properties that you are eligible for. When you find a property that you are interested in, we suggest you visit the area and check out local amenities and ensure it is a place you would like to live in. If you struggle with accessing the internet, please speak to the Salford Home Search team about Automatic Bidding
You are able to place a maximum of 3 bids at any one time.
No, if you have been offered a property you will not be able to continue to place any further bids.
Once the bidding closes, the Housing Associations and Registered Social Housing Providers who own and manage the properties will start to process the shortlist. If you are at the top of the list you will be contacted to discuss the property.
No
Properties are advertised on this website (Salford Home Search), you will have the option to set up property alerts and customers without any internet access will be able to contact Salford Home Search to request set up of the automated bidding function.
New property adverts are added to Salford Home Search on a daily basis. The closing date is stated on each advert. You will not be able to place a bid after the closing date.
There are fewer 4 and 5 bedroomed properties in the area and they rarely come available. You may wish to consider looking in the private sector to give you extra options.
The landlord is working through the list of applicants and has not yet made an offer to anyone.
You should be contacted and asked which property you prefer. You should be given the choice between the properties, however, if the housing provider cannot contact you they may make a decision based on your application details so that they don’t delay making an offer.
The system will indicate where you are on the bid list.

If you are made an offer of a property you will be contacted by the Housing Provider who owns and manages that property. They will make contact using the details you have provided on your Salford Home Search application so it is vital that these contact details are kept up to date. If you fail to respond to any contact you could be bypassed for the property. If you have left your details for one of the “Homes Available Now” properties, the landlord will contact you in response to your enquiry.

All offers are subject to a number of checks and a Pre-Tenancy Interview so please make sure that the offer has been confirmed by the new landlord before you give notice to terminate your current arrangement. There are occasions when offers have to be withdrawn or essential repairs may extend the time until you can move in.

If you have any queries relating to offers always contact the Housing provider.

If you have placed a successful bid and refused the property for no valid reason this will be logged against your application If you were to make a further bid and refused a second time your application will be suspended for 12 months. This will also be the same process if you have requested automatic bidding.
If you have placed a successful bid and refused the property for no valid reason this will be logged against your application. If you were to make a further bid and refused a second time your application will be suspended for 12 months.
If you are owed a homelessness duty you can place bids yourself however if you are not placing suitable bids automated bids will be placed on suitable properties on your behalf. If you are offered a property, this offer would be a discharge of any duty owed. If refused this could result in the ending of any duty owed to you, and the removal of any priority for rehousing on the grounds that you had refused a reasonable offer of accommodation. Inclusion on Salford Home Search after that discharge of duty would depend on your eligibility without the duty owed.
Most social housing providers require rent in advance which you will need to pay when you sign for the property, if this is not affordable for you please discuss this with your new landlord or your housing options officer (if you have one). Please also consider the additional costs of moving, carpets, furnishings, appliances, and utilities as these are not usually included. For further information please see the Your Moving Home Checklist in the help guides section.
If documents are not received within 3 months of completing your Salford Home Search application, it will be cancelled, and you will need to complete a new application on Salford Home Search. If you have a problem getting the requested information (e.g. you are waiting for a new passport or birth certificate to be sent to you), please discuss this with Salford Home Search.
If you or someone in your household has a medical condition that would affect the type of accommodation you would require, please complete the medical questionnaire on your Salford Home Search application. If we require any supporting evidence from a medical professional, we will get in touch with you. This may result in your application moving into the Accessible Accommodation category. This category does not necessarily mean that you will be rehoused any quicker than you would be if you were in the General Needs category, it means that your application would be pointing you towards properties that are suitable for your medical requirements.
Yes, there are occasions where a landlord will choose to not offer a property to you. You may not be invited to view the property for the following reasons:

 

  • You owe rent or have other housing related debts and have not advised of this or have not arranged a payment plan to resolve these current or former arrears or debts.
  • You are a council or housing association tenant and legal action has been taken against you because you have broken your tenancy conditions
  • You have not provided the required documentary evidence to support your application by the date given
  • Your circumstances have changed and has resulted in a change in your need
  • You have deliberately provided incorrect or misleading information, which has resulted in your application being awarded a higher need than it deserves
  • You have deliberately failed to provide information (for example details of convictions)

Some landlords may ask to see up to date documents to prove your identity and current circumstances. This may be the case even though you supplied documents at the point of registering on Salford Home Search.

No, properties do not normally come furnished, you will have to provide your own carpets and appliances. If you will struggle to afford this, services such as Salford Assist may be able to help.
If you are homeless or threatened with homelessness you should contact Salford Housing Options Point for advice and support. They will work with you to try to prevent you becoming homeless and will discuss your housing options with you. If this is unsuccessful, and you meet the homelessness legal requirements, you may be offered temporary housing if you have no place to stay at all. Until you have been accepted as homeless, you may still express an interest in properties through Salford Home Search, providing your application has been accepted on the housing register. Once you have been accepted as homeless, the council may place bids for you on suitable properties or limit the amount of time you have to bid, to reduce the time you have to spend in temporary accommodation - please check with Salford Housing Options Point. If you are accepted as homeless this does not guarantee that you will be rehoused via Salford Home Search. You may also be offered a property in the private rented sector that is deemed suitable for your needs.
Yes, to request an appeal (this is a section 167 review) you must contact Salford Home Search as soon as possible.You may be asked to provide additional information in writing during the appeal process. You will be advised of the outcome of the appeal as soon as possible. If you are not satisfied with the outcome of your appeal or with how your appeal has been handled, you can make a complaint to the Authority who will conduct an independent investigation. To make a complaint click here.

The Government has committed to protect the rights of EEA nationals who are residing in the UK following our departure from the EU. From 1 July 2021, EEA citizens and their family members must provide evidence of their immigration status or certificate of application when applying for an allocation of social housing and homelessness assistance.

 

Those who have applied and been granted (settled or pre-settled) status under the EUSS will be able to use their digital status to demonstrate their entitlement to access social housing or homelessness assistance, using the gov.uk web page: .https://www.gov.uk/view-prove-immigration-status

 

EEA citizens who have failed to apply by the end of the grace period which expired on 30 June 2021 and who do not have immigration status through other means will be considered to have no lawful basis for remaining in the UK. They will need to obtain status under the EUSS or through another immigration route to resolve this so they can access benefits and services. If you have moved to the UK from 1 January 2021 onwards you will (unless you are eligible to apply to the EUSS as a joining family member) come under the new points-based immigration system. You will be subject to immigration control and not generally eligible to access social housing or homelessness assistance.

 

Further guidance on this is available at : Apply to the EU Settlement Scheme

In line with Salford City Council’s Allocations Policy, your bedroom need will remain the same until you have had your child if you do not have any other housing need. If you do have a housing need your bedroom requirement will be recognised 12 weeks before your expected due date.

Bedroom need is based on whether a child can share with another child in the household (if there is another). A maximum of two children of the same sex, would be expected to share a bedroom up to the age of 21. A maximum of two children regardless of sex, would be expected to share a bedroom up to the age of 10 years. One bedroom will be allowed for any other child. Children of an appropriate age and sex within the same households are expected to share a bedroom regardless of relationship, for example step-children and foster children where there is no other housing need.

For any child to be considered part of your household that child must reside within that household permanently. Where you have shared care arrangements for children, you will only be allocated an additional bedroom if you have been awarded child benefit for that child unless there are extenuating circumstances. Evidence of extenuating circumstances will be considered. This would be in the form of legal documents showing care arrangements where the parent has the child residing with them 50% of the time. You would only be awarded a bedroom for the child in these circumstances if you are able to afford the additional bedroom(s).

Depending upon your financial circumstances, you could get help with your rent. You may qualify for housing benefit or the Housing Element of Universal Credit or in exceptional circumstances, a discretionary housing payment.
There is a chronic shortage of social housing in Salford. Most applicants on Salford Home Search will have to wait a long time to find a new home. Depending on your circumstances you may wish to consider other options such as renting in the private sector. If you are a current social housing tenant (your landlord is a council or housing association) you can register for a mutual exchange. For more information on how to apply for a mutual exchange please visit https://www.homeswapper.co.uk.
In order to ensure that the needs of the local community are met, a person who does not have a local connection to Salford does not qualify for Salford Home Search.

 

A local connection is defined as follows:

  • An applicant who has lived in Salford in settled accommodation for a period of 2 years.
  • An applicant who has a contract of permanent employment, has been in continuous employment within Salford for a minimum of 6 months, and the employment can be full-time, part-time, zero-hour contract or self-employed. Employment with an agency would not be considered.
  • An applicant has an active established relationship with a parent, adult sibling or adult child living in Salford in settled accommodation and has been for a minimum of five years.
  • An applicant who has been granted asylum whilst living in accommodation in Salford provided under section 95 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 and they have been granted a right to remain.

There may be special circumstances that do not meet any of the above criteria but on consideration the applicant is deemed to have a local connection. These cases will be considered on a individual basis and the decision will be made by a manager.

Yes, the following applicants will be exempt from the local connection criteria
  • Currently serving or former members of the armed forces who left the service within five years of their application.
  • Persons who are serving or who have served in the armed forces and who suffer from a serious injury or disability which is attributable in whole or part to that service; and,
  • A spouse or civil partner who is or was living in accommodation provided by the Ministry of Defence and whose former spouse or civil partner was a serviceman whose death was attributable in whole or in part to their service.
No, you should not go to the property expecting to view it. Properties are often advertised by the landlords on Salford Home Search when they are still tenanted, or when a family is still emptying the property after the tenant has passed away. You should not attempt to view the property until you have been offered it on Salford Home Search and the landlord has arranged a viewing with you.
The landlord who has offered you the property will arrange for you to view the property. You should not attempt to view the property in advance of this.

You should complete the medical form section on your Salford Home Search application. You will need to provide evidence that the additional bedroom would be affordable for you. If you are unemployed and currently claiming benefits such as Universal Credit you may be subject to the under-occupancy charge or spare room subsidy (often called the bedroom tax) which would likely make a property with an extra bedroom unaffordable.

If you are claiming benefits and require an additional bedroom on medical grounds Salford Home Search would expect that you were claiming Disability Living Allowance (DLA). This would exempt you from the under-occupancy charge (bedroom tax).
Demand for Social Housing is extremely high and many applicants (depending on their circumstances) can face an indefinite wait for Social Housing. Inclusion on Salford Home Search does not guarantee that you will receive an offer of accommodation and it does not guarantee any specific timeframe for being offered accommodation.

Additional points are added when a homelessness duty is owed to you, they are only applied to your application for a limited time and will expire after that time has expired. If that expiry date is reached the points will automatically remove themselves from your applictaion. If your points have gone down, this could be due to the duty owed to you having come to an end. Please speak to your Housing Options officer to query this.

If you have been awarded the main statutory homeless duty your points will reduce but this will not affect your position as your position for a property in the main statutory homeless duty category is based solely on when you were awarded that duty.
If you have been given additional points on your Salford Home Search application, they are often for a limited time only and will expire after a period of time (the timeframe would depend on the reason for the points). If that expiry date is reached the points will automatically remove themselves from your applictaion. If the points were awarded due to a homelessness duty owed to you, please speak to your Housing Options officer to query this.
Salford Property Link is a lettings and property management service that is part of Salford City Council. The service works with multiple private landlords and manages multiple types of properties.