Applying through Homefinder Somerset and Devon Home Choice
LOOKING FOR A HOME?

Homefinder Somerset and Devon Home Choice are both websites where Local Authorities and Housing Associations advertise the properties they have available for rent. Each site covers the whole of its County. When applicants have registered they can check the vacancies every week and if they find something they like, they can express an interest in living there. This expression of interest is also known as “bidding”.
Expressing an interest or bidding for a property simply means you are asking the council or housing association to consider you for a property. You should only place expressions of interest/bids against properties that you are genuinely interested in moving into.
You will need to register and complete an online application on Homefinder Somerset, this can take approx. 1 hour to complete. If you struggle with filling in forms or require any help, all the Local Authorities offer sessions at their offices to help get you registered. If you are one of our tenants, we can offer you help so please contact us.
Once you have completed the form you will need to provide ID to prove who you are. Please check with your local authority or on the Homefinder Somerset website for the list of what you will need to provide. We also suggest you should provide any other documents and information that will help prove your circumstances. This could be any medical documents you have that confirm a need for adapted housing or any other information you may need to provide to explain your need to move.
Once you have provided all the information needed, the Housing Options Team at your Local Authority will then assess your application and put you in a ‘Band’. The highest band is Gold: this is reserved for those in the most housing need, for example, who are homeless or families that are being evicted from the private sector. Silver is medium need: this could be over-crowded household or some mobility issues. The lowest band is Bronze: this is used for applicants that have a low need to move. Please do not get disheartened if you are put in the Bronze band. Around a third of all properties let on Homefinder Somerset are allocated to applicants in Bronze band.
Once your application is fully activated, you will be able to see any properties that are advertised and for which you meet the criteria, i.e. for instance bedroom allowance.
All the adverts are placed on the website from midnight on Wednesday morning until just before midnight the following Sunday night. You have 3 ‘bids’ every week. The term ‘bid’ does not mean any transfer of money, only that you are expressing an interest in a property. You do not need to ‘bid’ every week, nor do you have to use all 3 ‘bids’. You should only express your interest on properties that you would genuinely consider moving to, taking into consideration the area, public transport and schools. If you turn down three properties without good cause, you may find yourself excluded for up to three months which stops you from placing ‘bids’ on anymore properties.
Please note that bids can be withdrawn and re-used against another property until the close of the advertising cycle. Also that the number of times that you place an expression of interest will have no bearing on whether or not you are offered a property, this is based on your housing need and time on the waiting list.
After the property you have ‘bid’ on closes (advertising closes), the Landlord of that property will be presented with a list of applicants that expressed their interest in that property. The Landlord is then responsible for the allocation of the property in accordance with their allocation procedures.
Application form available here
You will need to register and complete an online application on Devon Home Choice, this can take approx. 1 hour to complete. If you struggle with filling in forms or require any help, all the Local Authorities offer sessions to help get you registered at their offices. If you are one of our tenants, we can offer you help so please contact us.
Once you have completed the form you will need to provide ID to prove who you are. Please check with your local authority or on the Devon Home Choice website for the list of what you will need to provide. We suggest you should also provide any other documents and information that will help prove your circumstances. This could be any medical documents you have that confirm a need for adapted housing or any other information you may need to provide to explain your need to move.
Once you have provided all the information needed, the Housing Options Team at your Local Authority will then assess your application and put you in a ‘Band’. There are 5 Bands in total, Band A is emergency Housing need – it is unlikely you will be put in this band.
The following 4 bands are as follows;
- Band B: High Housing Need
- Band C: Medium Housing Need
- Band D: Low Housing Need
- Band E: No Housing Need
Once your application is fully activated, you will be able to see any properties that are advertised and for which you meet the criteria, i.e. for instance bedroom allowance.
All the adverts are placed on the website from Wednesday until the following Monday. You have 3 ‘bids’ every week. The term ‘bid’ does not mean any transfer of money, only that you are expressing an interest in a property. You do not need to ‘bid’ every week, nor do you have to use all 3 ‘bids’. You should only express your interest on properties that you would genuinely consider moving to, taking into consideration the area, public transport and schools. If you turn down three properties without good cause, you may find yourself excluded for up to three months which stops you from placing ‘bids’ on anymore properties.
Please note that bids can be withdrawn and re-used against another property until the close of the advertising cycle. Also that the number of times that you place an expression of interest will have no bearing on whether or not you are offered a property, this is based on your housing need and time on the waiting list.
After the property you have ‘bid’ on closes (advertising closes) the Landlord of that property will be presented with a list of applicants that expressed their interest in that property. The Landlord is then responsible for the allocation of the property in accordance with their allocation procedures.