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Introduction
The Housing Options service offers housing advice, helps prevent homelessness and takes applications for the housing register.
Some of the services provided by the Housing Options Service may need you to be able to prove your identity.
If possible, you will need to provide one of these for each member of your household:
We understand that in some extreme cases applicants may not have ID available to them. If you think this is the case for your household, please contact us to discuss this.
Demand for Social Rented Housing is much greater than supply and you could wait up to 11 years before being housed.
It may be more sensible to consider other housing options, such as renting privately or buying affordable housing before you apply.
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Buying your own home
If you're thinking about buying your own home, you can get further information and advice from local estate agents. There are also websites which can help you find properties for sale, such as:
Not everyone can afford to buy a home on the open market; particularly first time round, but there is help available. There are a range of government schemes to help low-income households get a foot on the property ladder. In Hastings, these affordable housing schemes are provided by Moat.
Moat's Homebuy scheme is designed to help people, usually first time buyers, who cannot afford to buy a property that suits their household needs on the open market.
There are a number of different options through HomeBuy. To find out more visit Moat’s website.
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Tenancy Advice
We offer free advice, whether you are starting a tenancy, ending a tenancy or would like the law explained to you. Local housing support services also offer tenancy support, which can help people to stay in their own home.
Housing charity Shelter can also offer tenants valuable advice.
Your rights and responsibilities as a tenant
It's important you protect yourself as a tenant by reading up on the rules and laws on tenancies and responsibilities before you enter into any agreement.
The Department for Communities and Local Government has some useful advice for tenants who are renting privately called ‘Your rights and responsibilities’.
This will help you understand your rights as a tenant, your landlord's responsibilities and also your responsibilities as a good tenant.
Finding rental properties
If you're thinking about renting from a private landlord and want to find properties for rent, you can contact local estate and letting agents, read the local newspaper or FridayAd, or visit rental property websites such as:
Protecting your deposit
If you rent your home on an assured shorthold tenancy that started after 6 April 2007, your landlord must place your deposit in 1 of 3 tenancy deposit protection (TDP) schemes:
- Deposit Protection Service
- MyDeposits
- Tenancy Deposit Scheme
These government backed schemes ensure you’ll get your deposit back if you:
- Meet the terms of your tenancy agreement
- Don’t damage the property
- Pay your rent and bills
Your landlord or letting agent must put your deposit in the scheme within 30 days of getting.
The Government’s guide to Tenancy Deposit Protection can give you more information.
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Swapping your home (mutual exchange)
If you live in social housing, an easy way to relocate is to swap your home with a social housing tenant in another part of the country.
The Homeswapper website matches properties with tenants who want to swap houses across the country. Please note you will need your landlord's permission to swap.
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Housing Support
Home Works and STEPS are free services in East Sussex for people who need help and support around housing. This includes single people, couples and families.
Home Works is available to anyone aged 16 to 64 and provides housing support to help you, if, for example:
- You have a mortgage, rent arrears or debt problems
- You are at risk of becoming homeless
- You are setting up home for the first time
- You are suffering from, or at risk of, domestic violence
- You are an ex-offender
- You have drug or alcohol problems
- You have recently had a relationship breakdown or bereavement, or any other reason that places your accommodation at risk
STEPS is available to anyone aged 65 plus and provides a range of support to help people to continue to live independently.
If you live in Hastings and want to find out more, contact:
Home Works
Telephone: 01424 858341
Text: 07540 721244
email: referrals@homeworkseast.org.uk
web: www.southdownhousing.org
STEPS
Telephone: 03001232422
email: referrals@stepseast.co.uk
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Hastings LetStart
What is it?
Hastings Letstart is a free lettings service offered to private landlords willing to house applicants at risk of homelessness.
Prospective tenants must undergo an accreditation process aimed at reassuring Landlords as to their suitability. This involves comprehensive vetting of past housing and benefits history including references from current/past landlords where appropriate.
In addition, we will provide a twelve month bond which guarantees you, the Landlord, an amount up to the value of one month’s rent in the event of any damages caused to the property that would normally be covered by a deposit.
What it’s not
The scheme does not offer a housing management service - it simply facilitates the letting of the property. As the Landlord you will continue to be responsible, either directly or through your agent, for managing the tenancy on a day to day basis and providing certificates to comply with current legislation. Our Housing Officers can, however, make referrals to specialist agencies where support or advice is needed - both at the outset, and during the tenancy.
How does it work?
Contact us as soon as you know you will have a vacant property available and we will arrange to inspect the property. Once the property has been assessed as being suitable for the scheme, we will draw up an inventory.
We will also discuss with you who we can nominate from our pool of accredited tenants to make sure they best match the property and any special requirements that you have. You can then show the nominee your property. We can provide more nominations if, for any reason, the first nomination isn’t suitable.
Once you are happy to proceed, one of our officers will sit down with both you and the nominee to go through the tenancy obligations. This is good practice to ensure there is no misunderstanding about who is required to do what. We will also provide you with the twelve month bond.
Before the tenancy is due to expire we will contact both you and the tenant to see if you want to extend it.
At the end of the tenancy we will also conduct an exit interview with the tenant to give both you and us some feedback on how the scheme is working.
Why should I sign up?
Hastings Letstart offers a number of benefits to Landlords:
- Free service, in comparison to commercial lettings services which typically cost many £00’s, even £000’s
- Reassurance about the suitability of incoming tenants
- Liaison with the Benefits team to ensure that tenants’ claims are processed as quickly as possible
- Reduced financial risk because of the bond offered
- Greater long term security - the typical term of tenancies offered to our nominees is likely to exceed the average of private sector tenants
Contact us
If you have a vacant property to offer, or want to find out more, contact the Hastings Letstart Manager:
- Telephone: 01424 451100
- email: letstart@hastings.gov.uk
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Marlborough House Extra Care Scheme
Marlborough House has 40 self-contained flats eligible for people who are:
- Over 60 or assessed as needing the service
- Assessed as needing a care package
- In need of housing
- Be willing to accept the support provided
Referrals are made by Hastings Borough Council, Adult Social Care and East Sussex County Council.
Download the flyer:
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Landlord advice and support
We offer local landlords help and advice on issues like grants, repairs, tenancy sign up and notice periods.
The Government also provides valuable advice for landlords on a range of issues including tenancy agreements, evictions and tenancy deposit schemes.
The Hastings and Rother Landlords Forum hold quarterly meetings which allow landlords to share practical information and best practice. To find out more contact the Hastings Letstart Manager:
- Telephone: 01424 451100
- email: letstart@hastings.gov.uk
Letting your home
If you're considering letting your home for the first time, you may find it useful to read the Department for Communities and Local Government's guidance on ‘Renting out your property’ .
This guidance explains the relevant laws, gives information on the length of tenancies, serving notice, your responsibilities as a landlord and your tenants responsibilities.
Top tips for landlords:
- Don't disturb your tenants
- Do necessary repairs
- Meet safety standards
- Protect any deposits
- Give legal notice
- Follow the rules on rent
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Leaflets and supporting documents
Please contact us if you would like a copy of our Choice Based Lettings Guide produced for people with a learning disability, their families and supporters.
