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Am I ready to take on a new home?

We are very pleased that you are seeking alternative accommodation.

However, it is important to think about what it will be like being offered a home and being a tenant.  Being a tenant carries responsibilities, particularly in terms of how you manage your money and how you look after the home.  Signing a tenancy agreement with a landlord, whether it is the local authority or another housing provider, commits you both financially and in keeping the home in good order.  At the start of a tenancy, you have to pay rent in advance of between one week and one month's rent, depending on the landlord.  It is very important to have this cash in hand, along with money for removal costs and any floor coverings, curtains, white goods and furniture that you will need.  Rent in advance is required to ensure that you are in credit with your rent, rent generally being due in advance.

When you are a tenant, it is important to -

  • take good care of the physical fabric of the home eg repair or pay for any damage caused by you, your family or your friends, ventilate and heat the home properly and turn off the water if you are away from home in cold weather
  • be considerate of your neighbours eg ensure family and friends behave well at your home, keep noise down, do not allow rubbish to accumulate outside and keep any garden, garage or allocated parking space in good order
  • only have paying guests in the home if the landlord allows it

We cover here the key questions to consider:

1. Can I manage my rent and essential living costs?

It may be a good idea to create a budget for yourself, and if you are not renting at the moment, work out how much it will cost you. Please see our Budgeting page   

Please see the next pages for more information about how to be a good tenant.

2. If I need help with housing costs, what would I be entitled to?

The government has general information about welfare benefits including housing costs at https://www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators.

3. Am I able to keep a home tidy?

Being a responsible tenant is about more than paying the rent.  Looking after the home and its immediate surroundings is very important too.  Please see our page Looking after your Home

4. Will social renting provide me with the home I want in the place I want?

Some areas of Wiltshire have high demand for social rented housing.  Feedback is available to housing applicants about the success of their bids, which helps everyone bidding see where, and for what types of home, bids will be most likely to be successful.  Demand is generally high, so it is important to be flexible about where you seek to move to, and about the type of home you are prepared to consider.

It is important to note that seeking accommodation through Homes4Wiltshire means that you cannot have a spare bedroom.  We may allow housing applicants to bid for homes with an extra bedroom for a regular overnight carer for someone needing personal care at night or for a disabled child who may disrupt the sleep of another child, but otherwise the bedroom matrix determines the number of bedrooms for which you may be considered.