Housing allocations - rehousing decision appeal
If you are occupying temporary accommodation provided by the Council to avert homelessness then in due course you may receive a nomination into settled accommodation.
This offer will discharge the Council's duty towards you under the Housing Act 1996 Part VII on the basis that the offer is a suitable one for you and anyone who normally resides with you. This means that you will not normally receive a further offer and your right to occupy the temporary accommodation will cease.
You are entitled to ask for a review of the decision that the offer is suitable as long as you request it within 21 days of the decision.
For the review to succeed there must be good reasons for considering that the offer is unsuitable for occupation by your household (e.g. there is a wheelchair user in your household and there are steps leading up to the accommodation). A typical test of whether an offer should be considered unsuitable is that no reasonable authority would have arrived at the conclusion that the property was suitable, which gives you some idea of how substantial the reasons need to be. Please note that an internal review which goes against you can be further challenged through the courts.
You should remember, however, that if your request for a review ultimately fails to reverse the decision you will not be entitled to a further offer and will lose your temporary accommodation. It is therefore recommended that you move into the accommodation offered whilst the review is progressing. If the decision goes in your favour then you will be moved to alternative accommodation and if it goes against you then you can remain in the accommodation offered.
For further information on this process please contact the Housing department on tel: 01923 278162 or email housing@watford.gov.uk.
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