Applying to our choice-based letting scheme
We operate a choice-based letting scheme through North Yorkshire Home Choice.
North Yorkshire Home Choice advertises and offers empty homes on the waiting lists of Richmondshire and other local councils and housing associations across the region.
There are rules about who can apply to join the register and how applications are prioritised. All applications are placed into one of four bands, emergency, gold, silver or bronze, based on an assessment of their housing need.
If your application is successful, you'll receive a letter confirming you've been accepted onto the housing register and can bid for properties. The letter will advise you of the band, type of property and number of bedrooms you have been assessed for. You will be able to bid on a maximum of three properties each week.
At the end of the advertising period, where there is more than one applicant interested in a property, we apply a set of tie breakers. If applicants are still equal, we look to the applicant who has the earliest registration or priority band date.
If you're the successful bidder, you'll be invited to view the property and, subject to further checks, you'll be offered the property. If you decide it's not for you, although in general you won't be penalised if you refuse an offer, if you refuse three offers of suitable accommodation, your application may be cancelled and removed from the register for at least a year.