Who can apply?
You can join our waiting list to be considered for a home if:
- You’re 16 or over,
- You meet the criteria of our banding scheme (explained below),
- You’ve got a housing need.
You aren’t eligible for housing with us if:
- You don’t meet the criteria above,
- You’re not entitled to rent because of your immigration status,
- You’ve been evicted for a breach of tenancy by a council, housing association, another registered provider or private landlord,
- We consider that you pose a threat to the community because you’ve been convicted of offences like drug dealing, violent or abusive behaviour towards others (including Sanctuary staff), racially motivated attacks or hate crimes.
There are some cases when we may have to suspend or cancel your application, including:
- You’ve broken any of your tenancy obligations,
- You or any member of your household is the subject of an antisocial behaviour order or an injunction on grounds of antisocial behaviour,
- You’ve a previous or current debt with a landlord and have made no plans to repay the debt,
- You’ve previously abandoned a property,
- You’ve given false or misleading information on your application,
- You refuse reasonable offers of accommodation.
How do I apply?
There are a few different ways you can apply to rent a home from us:
Reviewing applications
We review applications regularly and will contact you to confirm your current housing needs. We do this to make sure the information we hold about you is right and to find out if your circumstances have changed.
We may cancel your application if you don’t respond to a review request within 28 days.
If you feel that we have not dealt with your application fairly or you’re unhappy with our decision, please raise this with the member of staff who you’ve been dealing with. You’ve the right to ask for a review of any decision we make within 21 days.
Update an existing application
What happens next?
Once you’re on our waiting list, we’ll let you know when you’re shortlisted for a suitable home.
We will need to confirm your right to rent in the UK before we can offer you a home. In some circumstances we may need to check your income to make sure the property is affordable.
We may carry out a support or probation risk assessment, if this is required.
When you’ve accepted an offer and the home is ready for you to move into, you’ll sign a tenancy agreement.
Your tenancy agreement will confirm when your rent should be paid. If you’re eligible for housing-related benefits, this will be paid to you as part of Universal Credit and you’ll need to pay us your rent in line with your tenancy agreement.
Paying your rent by Direct Debit is quick and easy to set up and ensures you don’t miss a payment to us. Our Income team will contact you to set up your Direct Debit.
What happens when you move in?
We have a dedicated information about moving into your property. This includes some useful information on setting up your utilities and home insurance.