Services
Applying for a Home
We aim to provide good quality homes at affordable rents to people in greatest housing need. We work in an independent, fair and accountable way to create stable, prosperous communities. Use Homefinder to search for a home.
You will need to send the completed form back to the local office. When we receive your application form we will assess your housing needs and aim to let you know if you can go on the waiting list within 14 days of receiving your application. We will also seek references from the people you have asked us to contact before we make any offer of a new home.
If we are unable to add your name to the list, we will tell you why. You have the right to appeal against this decision and you will have 28 days to do this. A proportion of our applicants are referred or 'nominated' to us by local councils. We also have joint housing waiting lists with some councils. To find out more about nominations and joint waiting lists, you can contact your area office.
- 1.
Download a Yorkshire Housing application form - 2.
Post your application to your housing office - 3.
Yorkshire Housing will reply within 14 days - 4.
We check the references you have provided - 5.
We let you know whether you are on the list or not
Step 1: Download an Application Form
Download the application form on the right, then choose the relevant area list so you can indicate which areas you would prefer.
If you are applying for a home in the Skipton area, you will need to fill in the Skipton Joint Housing Application Form too.
Additional Forms & Guides
Step 2: Return Your Completed Form(s)
Return your completed application form to the housing office in the area in which you are applying for a home.
In order to have your application processed as fast as possible, please ensure you have enclosed all relevant documentation in support of your application. Many applications are held up because of missing documents.
Before returning your application form, please ensure that you have:
- Fully completed all sections.
- Signed and dated where requested.
- Completed the Preferred Area Form, and Medical Assessment Form (if applicable).
- Enclosed all documentary evidence requested, including two forms of identification as follows:
- Proof of Identity - this may be a passport, driving licence, birth/marriage certificate.
- Proof of residence - a copy of a council tax or utility (gas/electricity) bill, bank statement, credit card statement etc.
Please do not send in original documents with your application as we can not be held responsible for items lost in the post.
Step 3: We Process Your Application
When we receive your application form we will assess your housing needs and aim to let you know if you can go on the waiting list within 14 days of receiving your application.
We aim to be as fair as possible when deciding who is in greatest need of a home. To do this, we use a 'points' scheme which gives us an idea of how urgent your housing needs are. The more points you have, the more chance you have of getting a home with us. We do not operate on a 'first come, first served' basis. This only happens in very rare cases when applicants have exactly the same housing need. In such cases, the applicant who applied first would usually be offered a home first.
We aim to ensure that everyone is treated fairly. We provide a good service to all our customers, regardless of race, gender, age, sexuality, disability or religion If you have any specific requirements, we will try to help. For instance, we can provide a translation service, offer private interview facilities or arrange for you to see someone of the same sex.
Step 4: We check the references you have provided
Each applicant(s) housing need is assessed on their individual circumstances, however, should you fail to disclose any of the information requested below on your application form then Yorkshire Housing will reject your application outright. It is important therefore that you tell us:
- Where you have lived before.
- If you owe money to Yorkshire Housing, any current or previous landlords, or any current or previous mortgage providers.
- If you or someone who lives with you has a record of committing anti social behaviour in the last five years.
- If you or someone who lives with you has a record of being violent or threatening.
- If you or someone who lives with you has a record of committing criminal offences.
To confirm these details on your application form you will be required to sign the application form, giving us your consent to contact other agencies such as the Police, Social Services, your previous landlords or mortgage providers, address tracing agencies etc.
Step 5: We let you know whether you are on the list or not
We want to make sure that we can offer you a home that is right for you. To help us do this, we may visit you to find out more about your housing needs. We will contact you when we have a property for you to consider.
You will be able to visit the property before deciding if you would like to accept it. If you turn down this offer, we may be able to keep you on our waiting list. Every so often we will write to ask if you want to stay on our waiting list. You should reply straight away to ensure your name stays on the list.
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are eligible for housing benefit, we will treat your application in the same way as all other applicants. We aim to keep rent levels within the means of people on a low income whether they are in paid work or receive housing benefit. However, we have to make reasonable charges to cover the cost of managing and maintaining your home.
If you feel your home is unsuitable in any way, you can apply for a transfer to a different home. Your name will go on the waiting list and we will assess your case using the points system. Where applicants score a similar number of points, priority may be given to the person who has been on the waiting list the longest.
Generally, you will not be able to apply for a transfer if your rent payments are not up to date or you are seriously in breach of your tenancy agreement.
You can swap your home with another Yorkshire Housing tenant, a local council tenant, or the tenant of another housing association. If you wish to swap your home, and have found another tenant to swap with, you will need to write to us to ask permission to exchange. If we agree to the swap, we will confirm this in writing. Both you and the other tenant will need to agree to take on the terms and conditions of each other's tenancy. If you are interested in swapping your home, please contact your area office for further information.
If you are an employee, Board Member or Committee Member for Yorkshire Housing, or you have been within the last 12 months, you must provide this information on the application form. You must also tell us if you are a close relative of an employee, Board Member or Committee Member. For more information on this, contact your local office.
When you apply for a home, some of the details you give us will remain confidential. You have the right to see any information we have recorded about your application - but we will not allow other people to see it. Information provided about you by anyone else, for example a doctor, cannot be given to you without their agreement.
We aim to provide a caring and efficient service to all our customers. If you are concerned about the way your application has been handled, please let us know and we will do our best to put things right. If you are still not satisfied, and want to take things further, you can contact your local office. We will then explain how our formal complaints procedure works and what will happen next. We will deal with your complaint as quickly as possible and we will apologise when we have got things wrong.
Visit our Complaints, Compliments and Suggestions page for more information about our complaints process or if you wish to make a complaint online.
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