Our Allocations Policy helps us determine who can apply for a property on Castle Vale and how we decide who gets a home. It outlines who can apply, what we consider when processing applications, and the types of properties available.

How Do We Allocate Properties?

• 50% of our available properties are allocated under the Allocations Policy.
• The remaining 50% are let under an agreement with Birmingham City Council (called a Nominations Agreement).

Important Rules to Know

• Include Everyone: Make sure you list everyone who will be living with you, even if they don’t live with you right now.
• ID and Income: You’ll need to show proof of your identity and income before we can offer you a property.
• Wait Time: We can’t say how long it will take to be offered a property, as homes are let on assured tenancies.
• Renew Your Application: You’ll need to renew your application every year to keep your place on the list. We’ll remind you when it’s time.
• Honesty is Important: It’s your responsibility to make sure all the information you provide is accurate. Falsifying information could result in legal action.
• Refusing an Offer: If you refuse an offer, you’ll go back to the bottom of the list unless there’s a good reason. If you refuse three offers, you’ll be removed from the list.
• Disagree with a Decision? If you disagree with a decision, you can ask us to review it or appeal to the court.

Who Can Apply?

To apply, you must:

• Live, work, or have close family in Castle Vale.
• Be living in the UK and have been for some time.
• Be 18 or older.
• Have no history of serious issues such as:
  • Domestic abuse, Violence or abusive behaviour, Fraud or subletting, Not following tenancy agreements, Rent arrears
• Not own a home or have significant income or savings.

Current Pioneer Group tenants can only join the waiting list if they need a different property (e.g., due to overcrowding).

Priority for Housing

We prioritise applicants based on:

1. Tenants of Chivenor House needing to move to Phoenix Court because their high-rise accommodation is unsuitable for their needs.
2. Community contribution, which can include working or volunteering. If you’re unable to work or volunteer, we’ll take that into account.

Where Will You Be Offered a Home?

• We don’t allow applicants to choose where they want to live within Castle Vale, unless we agree on a reason.
• We won’t offer you a property that you can’t afford.

Bedroom Allocation

Here’s how we allocate bedrooms:

• Couples get one bedroom.
• Singles over 16 get one bedroom.
• Two children under 10 or of the same gender get one bedroom.
• Two children over 10 and of different genders get two bedrooms.

If you need extra bedrooms for any reason, we’ll consider that when making our offer.

Please note:

• If you have a child under 10, we won’t offer you a flat in a high-rise block.

How long will it take to be offered a property?

We understand you want to know how long you might wait, but, we can’t give an exact time frame. This is because the type of tenancies we offer allow tenants to stay as long as they follow the tenancy rules, which means we can’t predict when a property will become available.

On average, we let fewer than 100 properties each year, and half of these must go to people on the Birmingham City Council waiting list due to our nominations agreement.

To improve your chances, we recommend registering with both us and Birmingham City Council’s waiting list.

If you’re looking for a property sooner, we do offer market rent properties that might be available right away. These are rented at full market prices and are not part of the discounted social rents or the waiting list. You can submit an enquiry for these properties here.

If you’re already a tenant, you might be able to move sooner through a mutual exchange.

Can you tell me where I am on the waiting list?

We can’t tell you exactly where you are on the waiting list or how long you might have to wait. The order can change, especially if there are emergency situations, like someone needing to move because of a fire or domestic violence.

While we may be able to tell you if you’re in the top quarter of applicants, we don’t give estimates on wait times, as it could lead to disappointment. Remember, it’s important to return your review forms to stay on the list, as failure to do so might result in losing your place.

All social landlords must ensure that the quality of their rented homes are at a specific standard. This is known as the Decent Homes Standard.

Tenancy Succession

If a tenant passes away, their tenancy may be transferred to someone else through a process called succession. This usually applies to a joint tenant, spouse, civil partner, or cohabiting partner, though some tenancy agreements may grant additional rights. If no one qualifies, we will assess individual circumstances before making a decision.

Read our FAQs

If you believe you may be eligible for succession, you’ll need to provide proof of residence and your relationship with the tenant. For more details or to appeal a decision, contact us at 0121 748 8100.