If you would like to rent a council or housing association property in the London Borough of Hounslow, you will need to apply to our housing register then you can bid for advertised properties for which you are eligible and interested in.
In general, demand for affordable homes in the borough far exceeds the number of properties available. Social housing is not the right option for everyone, many people face a long wait for social housing and people with lower housing need may not be re-housed at all.
You can find out more about the full range of housing options available to you on the your housing options pages.
What is Locata?
Locata is a lettings scheme, which allows you to apply for vacant council and social landlord properties not just in Hounslow, but also in neighboring boroughs that are part of the Locata scheme.
How does it work?
Every two weeks Locata produce a free magazine called Locata HOME which advertises virtually all the available council and housing association homes. You can look at the adverts and decide whether you want to be considered for any of the properties. When registered, you express your interest in properties by making a bid for them, online, by telephone, by a SMS text message or by coupon.
When the advert has closed, the person with the highest priority (greatest housing need) is asked to view and then offered the property by the landlord.
Who can apply?
Local councils can only provide housing for people who are eligible. Most people who are living in the UK permanently are eligible, but there are some exceptions.
Being eligible for council housing doesn't mean that you are guaranteed to be offered a place. It means that you are entitled to be considered for a home.
How do I apply?
To join Locata you must complete an application form, you can apply online.
When you are registered onto Locata you will be sent a reference number, informed of your level of assessed housing need, and placed in one of four priority bands. People in band A will be those with the highest urgent housing need and those in band D the lowest level of need. If you are band D you are unlikely to receive an offer of a property and will only be offered accommodation if no expressions of interest are received from people in bands A-C.
Your priority for housing within your band will depend on the date you joined that priority band.
What happens if I move address or my household composition changes?
If you move address you will need to complete and a new housing application form. If you wish to add or remove a person from your application, you will need to complete and return a change of circumstances form. You can download and print our change of circumstance form and guidance on completing and returning your form on the right of this page.
Once received, your application will be re-assessed according to your new housing circumstances and this may result in your priority band and date changing which will be confirmed to you in writing.
What happens if I’m already a council tenant and want to move?
If you are a Hounslow council tenant and you want to apply for a transfer you should contact your local housing officer.
Can I be on more than one housing register?
New legislation states that councils must operate open waiting lists, so applicants can register on any number of housing registers across the country, but it should be remembered that councils can give priority to local residents over people applying from outside their area.
You can only register on Locata once. If you are a tenant of one of the partner councils or housing associations you are likely to be more successful if you apply for a transfer with them. If you are a homeseeker you may be more successful if you apply to the council where you currently live as you are prioritised as a local resident.
Where can I find the adverts?
Locata HOME is published every other Friday and is available on their website or free from a range of libraries, council and housing offices in Hounslow. A full list of where you can pick up a copy is provided in the scheme user guide you receive when you register.
For a small subscription fee of £10, Locata HOME can be posted directly to you for six months. Please make your cheques/postal orders payable to ‘Locata (Housing Services) Ltd’ and send, together with your Locata LIN number and mailing address to: Locata, PO Box 294, Ruislip, HA4 8WX. Please notify Locata of any change to your mailing address.
How do I bid?
You can express your interest in a property in a number of ways:
on the internet at www.locata.org.uk
by telephone
by SMS text message
by coupon
All bids must be received by the advert deadline to be considered. You will receive full details of how to bid in the scheme user guide when you register.
Each advert will clearly state whether a home is available to transfer applicants who want to move from a council home, to new applicants or to both. Some properties may also be reserved for certain other types of applicant, depending on the landlord's policies. Any restrictions will be made clear. This should help you decide whether you want to bid for the property or not and if you are eligible for that property.
There are some additional rules about bidding for elderly and sheltered accommodation, and for homes adapted for disabled people.
After the closing date, the landlord of each property will receive a list of all of people who have bid for their property. If your name is at the top of the priority list, you will normally be invited to view the property. If you refuse this property, the next person on the ‘short list’ will be offered the property.
Unfortunately, it is not possible to notify you individually when your bids have been unsuccessful, if you have not been contacted regarding a property you have bid for you should assume that you have been unsuccessful.
What happens if I’m offered a property?
If you are offered a property we will check all of the information you have given us on your application to make sure that your situation is still the same at the time of the offer and you still require that type of property. We will also check with your current landlord to see if you have rent arrears or have any housing related debt.
How long will I have to wait for a property?
There are currently over 12,000 households on Hounslow’s Housing Register, last year (2007/2008) there were only 822 properties available to rent. Most people waiting for housing will never be offered a property because the number of people registered is much more than the number of properties we have available each year.
It is very difficult to estimate how long it may take you to be offered a property from the housing register as it will depend on your circumstances, banding, the type of property you need and what you bid for. Most people will never be offered a property from the housing register, so it is important that you explore your other housing options if you really need to move.
Can I make an appeal against a decision?
You can ask us to review a decision we have made about::
your eligibility to join the register
the priority band you have been allocated to
removing your name from the register
If you are a new applicant and you think the decision is wrong you can contact the housing register team on:
Telephone: 020 8583 4422
Fax: 020 8583 3825
Complete our online Housing enquiry eform
If you are an existing tenant and you would like to appeal a decision you can write to Hounslow Homes at:
Complaints Team
Call Centre
Ashmead Road
Feltham
TW14 9NN
Telephone: 0208 583 3737
Fax: 020 8583 4336
Minicom: 0800 389 9821
E-mail: complaints.team@hounslowhomes.org.uk
Further information
Locata has its own website www.locata.org.uk for more information about the scheme.