Johnnie Johnson Housing
Johnnie Johnson Housing Contact Details

How to apply for a home

We operate a paperless application system & a offer you a variety of ways to register your housing requirements with us

Applying for Housing booklet

Service standards for applicants booklet

Frequently asked questions to help guide you through our application process.

Who can apply?

Anyone over the age of 16 can apply. Applicants between the ages of 16 and 18 will be required to provide a guarantor and we strongly recommend that 16/17 year olds seek advice from Social Services and/or the Local Authority Homeless Services.

Applicants looking for retirement housing must normally be 60 years of age. In the case of couples, one partner should have reached 60. However in certain circumstances, we can consider applicants for retirement housing under the age of 60, e.g. someone who is registered disabled and is in receipt of Disability Living Allowance. Some of our schemes have a specific age limit. For example, a development may have an age limit of 50+ to respond to a shortage of housing in the area for this particular age group. You will be advised of any age restrictions on application.

At ‘Johnnie’ Johnson Housing we have a clear Equal Opportunities Policy. We welcome applications, regardless of your race, colour, ethnic or national origin/citizenship, age, sex, disability/ appearance, religion, marital status or sexual orientation. We use the information you give us to ensure that we operate this policy in a fair way.

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How do I apply?

There are several easy ways to register for housing with us:

By Telephone
Simply call our helpful and friendly Customer Services Team on 0845 6041095 (Mon - Fri 8.30am - 5.30pm). Our Customer Service Operators are specially trained to give detailed information about our properties and will guide you through the process of registering with us. You will be asked a few simple questions about your housing requirements and, if we have suitable options for you, your details will be recorded on our housing register.

In Writing
Please write to us at ‘Johnnie’ Johnson Housing Trust, Astra House, Spinners Lane, Poynton, SK12 1GA. You will need to include brief details of your housing requirements, together with your age, the areas in which you wish to live and a daytime telephone number.

By Email
The address is general.enquiries@jjhousing.co.uk. To apply by email, you will need to include brief details of your housing requirements, together with your age, the areas in which you wish to live and a daytime telephone number.

In Person
You can apply at our Head Office in Poynton, Local Offices or Retirement Schemes.

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What size/type of property can I apply for?

The size and type of property offered to applicants will depend on how many applicants there are and their
ages. Normally, the size of home we offer you matches that set out in the following table:

 

Household

 Size of home                   

Single person over 60 (In retirement housing, priority is normally given to couples for 1-2 bedroom properties)

Studio flat

1 or 2 bedroom property
Single person under60

1 or 2 bedroom property
Couple

1 or 2 bedroom property
Family with 1 child or expecting a child

2 or 3 bedroom property
Family with 2 children

2 bedroom property (where children are the same gender or under 7 years old)

3 bedroom property
Family with 3 children

3 bedroomproperty (where children are the same gender or under 7 years old)

4 bedroom property or larger

Is there a limit to the number of areas/properties that I can apply for?

There is no limit to the number of schemes you can apply for. However, some schemes are governed by a local lettings policy, which will normally require that the applicant has a local connection to the area. There will also be times when the waiting list for a particular scheme is closed due to high demand.

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What happens next?

You will receive an acknowledgement letter and full colour details about your chosen properties, together with an Informed Consent Form for completion and return.

An Informed Consent Form authorises us to consult with other agencies such as previous landlords, the Local Authority and the Police, where appropriate. We need to carry out these checks because we have a duty towards our existing tenants and the wider community to ensure that, as far as possible, future tenants will observe their tenancy conditions. You will need to return your completed Informed Consent Form to us within 7 days of registration because, without it, your application may be cancelled.

Once we receive and verify the details on your Informed Consent Form, we will be able to actively consider you for housing.

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I am homeless will I get priority?

Yes. Applicants accepted as homeless receive automatic priority for rehousing. The question of who is regarded as homeless is complex but, generally speaking, we regard someone as homeless if:

  • You have been accepted as statutorily homeless by the Local Authority
  • You are unable to enter your property e.g. you have been illegally evicted
  • You have accommodation which you are unable to continue living in
  • You have accommodation which you must leave within 28 days e.g. with a court order or you have been given a Notice to Quit (notice to end your tenancy) by your landlord.

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Who is not eligible for housing?

We will check certain information before you may be considered for a property with us. The purpose of this is to protect existing communities and to ensure that you are able to keep to the conditions of the tenancy. We may check with previous landlords or other agencies, where appropriate. We reserve the right not to re-house people who have breached previous tenancy agreements, deliberately give us false information, or who would otherwise jeopardise the stability of the existing community.

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What can I do if I am excluded from the register?

If a decision has been made to exclude you, we will write to you giving the reasons why. We will also let you know who you should contact if you wish to appeal against this decision.

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How will my application be handled?

We will handle all information in the strictest confidence. We allocate properties on the basis of date registration, subject to the following exceptions which will take priority:

  • Homeless applicants
  • Nominations from Local Authorities
  • Existing tenants transferring
  • Where consideration of the needs of the existing community justifies a departure from a date order system.

When a vacancy arises we will normally contact the top three applicants on the waiting list in accordance with the priorities above. Applicants being actively considered for a particular vacancy will be invited to view the property. When all applicants have viewed the property an offer of tenancy will be made in line with the Trust's Allocations Policy.

There may be instances where vacancies arise in areas that are governed by a “Local Lettings Policy”. This means that lettings in these areas will need to be made in accordance with these policies. Such policies are usually created in consultation with the Local Authority and are specific to the area.

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What is an Allocations Policy?

An Allocations Policy is a framework in which we allocate our homes. The policy is backed up by clear procedures, which are regularly reviewed to ensure that we comply with any changes in the law and to make sure they help us to achieve our objectives. Our key objectives are to:

  • Ensure that we re-house people with recognised housing needs
  • Operate a customer friendly application process, with simplified access to a housing register and realistic advice on housing availability and options
  • Be sufficiently flexible to meet local housing needs
  • Contribute to sustainable communities and help to retain customers
  • Reflect our duty of care to existing tenants
  • Keep faith with the rules under which we operate
  • Comply with regulatory requirements
  • Comply with relevant legislation
  • Be accountable and fair, promoting equality of opportunity in access to housing.

A copy of our allocations policy is available to download here, together with a Code of Guidance to assist with the interpretation and implementation of this policy.

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How long will I have to wait for a property?

Some of our properties may have immediate vacancies and no waiting list, whilst others will have infrequent vacancies and a full waiting list. It is difficult to guarantee a timescale in which you will be offered a property, as this depends on several factors e.g. how many properties become available, how many priority applicants are waiting and your own particular circumstances. We will however, do our best to help and give you realistic advice about your prospects.

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Do I have to ask permission to keep a pet?

We understand the value of pets to provide security and comfort, but we must also balance this with the comfort of our other residents. If you wish to keep a dog, cat or bird such as a parrot or pigeons, you must obtain opermission in writing. Generally speaking, if the property has its own access and garden, we will normally let you keep a pet provided it does not cause a disturbance to others. If you move into a flat with communal areas,
we will not normally give you permission to keep a dog (exceptions are made for Guide dogs). If you already have a cat, we may allow you to take the cat into your new flat, but we would ask you not to replace it. You do not need permission to keep small caged animals, a small bird or a fish in a tank.

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What happens if my circumstances change?

You should inform us of any changes to your circumstances, as this may affect your housing need. If you have changed address or wish to be removed from the housing register, you should also let us know.

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Do I have to take the first property I am offered?

No, you can refuse a property offered to you. We will do our best to help you find a home that you are completely happy with, but we do reserve the right to remove applicants from the housing register where they have refused three reasonable offers of accommodation.

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Will I get the opportunity to view any properties I am applying for?

Yes. When we are considering you for a vacancy, we will make arrangements for you to view the property. If you are applying for general needs housing, one of our Housing Managers will interview you, either at home or at the property, when you view it. In the case of retirement housing, you will usually be able to meet the Scheme Manager, have a look around and ask any questions you may have even before you apply!

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I am already a ‘Johnnie’ Johnson tenant but I need to move home. Do I need to apply differently?

We recognise the needs of our existing tenants and, as part of our strategy to retain existing customers, we will assist tenants who wish to transfer homes, subject to meeting other priority housing needs or existing commitments to Local Authorities.

You can apply for a transfer in the normal way (see “How do I apply?”), but we will record your
application as an internal transfer and this will give you some priority on the waiting list.

We also take part in a national transfer scheme called moveUK, that helps people to move into homes managed by other landlords. To find out more, or to request a nomination to another area through the moveUK scheme, please contact us on 0845 6041095.

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I've seen an empty property in an area that I have applied for. Can I have it?

This will depend on your position on the waiting list. If you are already on the waiting list for this scheme, you do not need to do anything. We will automatically contact the applicants at the top of the list and advise you what to do next.

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What can I do if I am unhappy with the handling of my application?

If you are unhappy with any aspect of our application process, you can let us know by calling our Customer Services Team on 0845 6041095. We will log the details of your complaint and let you know who will handle your complaint and how soon you are likely to hear from us. Full details of how our complaints procedure works is available on request from any of our offices.

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Is there anything else I can do?

You should also register with the Local Authority and other housing associations. If you register with a Local Authority you can ask them to “nominate” you (put your name forward) as they normally do this for 50% of our vacancies.

If you would like details of other housing providers in your area, together with agencies which may provide housing advice, please call our Customer Services Team on 0845 6041095 and they will be happy to help.

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