Homefinder
Cube and GHA
Renting a home
Want a new
home with us?
Here’s what you
need to know –
and what you
have to do
Better homes, better lives
We can produce information on request in large print, Braille, tape and on disk.
It is also available in other languages. If you need information in any of these
formats please contact us on Freephone 0800 479 7979.
0800 479 7979
Si vous nous le demandez, nous pouvons vous remettre ces informations
en d’autres langues, en braille ou sur cassette. Si vous souhaitez que ces
informations vous soient fournies sous l’un de ces formats, contactez-nous en
composant le 0800 479 7979.
Na Pana/Pani życzenie możemy zapewnić te informacje w innych językach,
alfabetem Braille’a lub na kasecie. Jeśli chciał(a)by Pan(i) uzyskać te informacje
w którejś z tych form, prosimy skontaktować się z nami pod numerem telefonu
0800 479 7979.
Haddii aad na weydiisato waxaanu warbixintan kugu siin karaa iyadoo ku qoran
luuqad kale, farta ay dadka indhaha la’ akhriyaan ama cajalad ku duuban. Haddii aad
jeclaan lahayd in warbxintan lagugu siiyo mid ka mid ah qaababkaas, fadlan nagala
soo xidhiidh telefoonka 0800 479 7979.
По вашей просьбе данная информация может быть предоставлена на других
языках, шрифтом Брайля или в аудиозаписи. Если вам требуется информация
в одном из этих форматов, позвоните нам по номеру 0800 479 7979.
Renting a home
Cube and GHA are social landlords
and part of Wheatley Group,
Scotland’s leading housing group.
We work together to provide a range
of services in our local communities.
The way we let our homes is designed to:
give you a say in where you live and the type of home
you live in
give you as much advice and support as we can while you are looking for a home
be fair to everyone who is in need of social housing
be open, transparent and easy to use. If you want to know
more just get in touch, we’re here to help.
Visit our websites:
www.cubehousing.co.uk | www.gha.org.uk
Send us an email:
[email protected] | [email protected]
Call us free from a landline on:
0800 479 7979
If phoning from a mobile it may
be cheaper to call: 0141 274 7979
Renting a home
Page 1
Our four simple steps to renting a home with Cube or GHA
1
Register with us (go to page 5)
Fill in our application form (available on our websites or a
local housing office). Once you have registered you’ll be
given a Registration Number, Applicant Group and PIN.
You need these details to note an interest in a property.
2
Looking for a home (go to page 9)
Available homes are posted on our website each week.
If you want to note an interest you will need your
Registration Number and PIN. Search by visiting
https://home-finder.org.uk
3
4
Page 2
Note an interest (go to page 12)
You need to note an interest before the weekly
deadline of 8pm on a Monday. You can note
an interest in up to two properties a week for
each landlord. If you become a tenant your tenancy
agreement requires you to pay your rent charge from
day one when you get your keys.
Your offer (go to page 14)
If your application has been successful we will contact
you as soon as possible after the closing date. If your
application has not been successful you can continue to
note an interest in other properties each week.
How do we let homes?
The way we let homes at Cube and GHA gives
you a more active role in choosing where you
live and the type of house you live in.
Every week we advertise our available homes on Home Finder
at https://home-finder.org.uk. If you do not have access to the
internet you can call into one of our local offices or our shop
at 173 Trongate. We can also post out a weekly Home Finder
listing which has full details of all the available homes. This is
available on request. To be considered for one of the homes,
you will have to note an interest in the property. You can do
this in a number of ways and this is explained on page 12 of this
booklet.
Home Finder currently advertises homes available from two
participating social landlords – Cube and GHA.
You only have to register once – either through Cube or GHA.
Once you’ve registered, you’ll be able to look at all the adverts
of homes which are available from the participating social
landlords and note an interest in any which match your needs.
Home Finder will also have homes available through other
partners such as Lowther Homes which offers properties for
mid-market rent.
This means you’ll see a bigger variety of homes which you may
be interested in.
Renting a home
Page 3
Step 1
1
2
3
4
Page 4
Register with us
Looking for a home
Note an interest
Your offer
Register with us
Anyone aged 16 or over can apply for housing. Before you can
note an interest in a property, you must first register with one
of the participating landlords if you have not already done so.
You can get a registration form by:
visiting one of our local housing offices or visiting our shop
at 173 Trongate
going online to one of our websites:
www.cubehousing.co.uk or www.gha.org.uk
giving us a call on Freephone 0800 479 7979. It’s cheaper to
call 0141 274 7979 if calling from a mobile.
Once you have registered, you will then receive a letter
containing your Applicant Group, Personal Registration Number
and PIN. Please keep these details safe as you will need them
when you note an interest in a property.
Here’s a handy box where you can note down your details and
keep them safe.
My Registration Number
My Applicant Group
My PIN
Renting a home
Page 5
Register with us (continued)
Your Applicant Group is decided based on your circumstances
and reflects your housing need.
If you don’t agree with the group you are given, you can contact
us and we will look at your case.
You can read more detail about our Applicant Groups in our
Allocations Policy which is available on our websites, or contact
us and we can send one out to you.
Our Applicant Groups are shown opposite.
Page 6
Register with us (continued)
Applicant Groups
Group 1
Applicants with no housing need priority will
be placed in this group.
Group 2
This includes applicants referred by their local
authority and applicants with multiple needs
who need to be re-housed urgently.
Group 3
This includes applicants in housing need
such as mobility medical need, overcrowding,
or living in accommodation below the
tolerable standard.
Group 4
For applicants who have a need to live in an
area e.g. through carer support, education or
employment needs.
Group 5
Mobility
For applicants who have a medical priority for
mobility reasons.
Group 6
Underoccupation
For Cube or GHA tenants who are currently
under occupying a:
a) 3 bedroom property (or larger) and wish to
move to a smaller home or
b) 2 bedroom property, are affected by the UK
Government’s ‘Bedroom Tax’, and as a result,
wish to move to a smaller home.
Group 7
Sheltered
Housing
Renting a home
For applicants aged 60 or over who have been
assessed as requiring sheltered or very sheltered accommodation.
Page 7
Step 2
1
2
3
4
Page 8
Register with us
Looking for a home
Note an interest
Your offer
Looking for a home
As soon as you receive your Registration Number and PIN
you can start looking for a home and note an interest in your
preferred properties. We advertise properties:
X X on Home Finder at https://home-finder.org.uk
X X at your local housing office
X X at our shop at 173 Trongate in the city centre
X X in our weekly Home Finder listing which can be posted
to you on request.
The homes available to rent are advertised on a Tuesday
and you can note an interest in any of them right up until the
following Monday at 8pm. You can note an interest in up to
two properties a week for each landlord.
Homes advertised for every Applicant Group
Each property advertised will be targeted towards a particular
Applicant Group. Properties will be advertised showing clearly
which group they are targeted at.
You are more likely to be offered a property that matches your
Applicant Group. However if no one from that Applicant Group
notes an interest in the home, we will open it up to other
Applicant Groups.
Renting a home
Page 9
Finding a home that’s the right size
It’s also important that you look for a home suitable for the
size of your household. The property advertisement will tell you
the number of bedrooms each property has. Our guide below
gives a general indication of the number of bedrooms different
households need and the size of property they can apply for.
If you try to note an interest in a property which is considered
to have too many rooms for your needs, you will not be allowed
to proceed with noting an interest. If you want to talk about
this aspect of your application, please contact us.
Household description
Size of property /
Number of bedrooms
Single person / couple
Bedsit, 1 or 2 bedroom
Couple / single parent with one
2 bedroom
child or two children under 10
Family with up to 4 children
under 10
3 bedroom
Family with 4 children
3 or 4 bedroom
Family with 4 adult children
4 or more bedrooms
Please also note that if you are on Housing Benefit and your
home is considered to have more bedrooms than you need
under the UK Government’s guidelines, you will be required
to pay a proportion of the rent yourself.
Page 10
Step 3
1
2
3
4
Renting a home
Register with us
Looking for a home
Note an interest
Your offer
Page 11
Note an interest
You can note an interest in up to two properties in any week
per landlord. Before you begin, please have your Registration
Number and PIN ready. You can note an interest by:
Online
By visiting https://home-finder.org.uk from
Tuesday morning until the following Monday
at 8pm.
Phone
Call us free from a landline on 0800 479 7979.
It’s cheaper to call 0141 274 7979 if phoning
from a mobile. You can talk to an advisor 24 hours
a day, seven days a week.
Local
office
You can also visit your local housing office during
normal office opening hours.
Shop
You can drop into our shop at 173 Trongate during
normal opening hours, Monday to Friday.
Speak
to your
housing
officer
If you’re a Cube or GHA tenant, remember
your housing officer can help you with all your
enquiries – including helping you note an interest
in a home.
You can change or cancel a note of interest any time up to 8pm
on a Monday, using any of the methods detailed above.
If you become a tenant your tenancy agreement requires you
to pay your rent charge from day one when you get your keys.
Page 12
Step 4
1
2
3
4
Renting a home
Register with us
Looking for a home
Note an interest
Your offer
Page 13
Your offer
Notes of interest are not considered on a “first come, first
served” basis. We will consider all notes of interest as long
as they have been placed before the deadline at 8pm on
a Monday.
Remember you are more likely to be offered a property that
matches your Applicant Group and is suited to the size of
your household.
What if several people note an interest?
If a number of people from the right applicant group note
an interest in a property, then the home will be offered to the
person who has been waiting longest in that Applicant Group.
If no-one from the right Applicant Group notes an interest, then
it will be offered to whoever notes interest and who has been
waiting the longest.
If you applied for a home under our old system of letting homes
and are moving to the new system, we’ll count the total time
you’ve been waiting for a home.
If you are unsuccessful in getting a property, we can provide
feedback and help you review your choices of property. You can
also review this yourself online at https://home-finder.org.uk
Page 14
Offering a home
If we are able to offer you the property of your choice we will
contact you as soon as possible after the advert closes. We
will then arrange a suitable date and time for you to view
the property.
If you want, we can notify you by email or text message if you
are unsuccessful. You can request this service via the contact
methods already noted in this booklet.
If you’re waiting to hear about properties you’ve already noted
an interest in, you can still continue to note an interest in new
properties each week.
We will publish our allocation results at:
https://home-finder.org.uk
The results will confirm which properties have been let and
to which Applicant Groups – these won’t include any personal
details.
Renting a home
Page 15
Changes in your circumstances
Any changes in your circumstances might affect your
registration or the size of property we will consider you for.
Please tell us as soon as possible about:
X X a change to your address
X X a new contact phone number
X X a new addition to your household
X X anyone leaving your household.
Becoming a tenant
If you become a Cube or GHA tenant, your tenancy agreement
requires you to pay your rent charge from day one when you
get your keys. If you are entitled to Housing Benefit, this will be
taken into account.
Your home will be at risk if you do not keep up with your
rent payments.
Need more help?
If you need more advice about finding a new home, becoming
a Cube or GHA tenant or if you have any comments or
complaints just get in touch. We’re here to help.
Page 16
Visit our websites:
www.cubehousing.co.uk | www.gha.org.uk
Send us an email:
[email protected] | [email protected]
Call us free from a landline on:
0800 479 7979
If phoning from a mobile it may
be cheaper to call: 0141 274 7979
Page 17
Cube Housing Association Limited (Cube) and Glasgow Housing Association
Limited (GHA) are not-for-profit housing associations registered under the
Industrial and Provident Societies Act 1965, registered nos. Cube 2327R(S),
GHA 2572R(S). They are also recognised by HM Revenue and Customs as
Scottish charities, Cube (SCO33021), GHA (SCO34054), and are registered
with The Scottish Housing Regulator under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001
as registered social landlords, no. 317. VAT registration no. 135531726.
Registered offices: Cube, 70 Glenfinnan Road, Glasgow G20 8JX,
GHA, Wheatley House, 25 Cochrane Street, Glasgow G1 1HL.
WHLFALLOC/FEB14/100700
Would you like more information?
Freephone: 0800 479 7979
Email: [email protected] | [email protected]
Visit: www.gha.org.uk | www.cubehousing.co.uk