I have not been offered accommodation

If you are on the housing register but have still not been offered accommodation, consider doing the following:

Checking and updating your bids

You can place 2 bids for accommodation every week. This can be reviewed and changed before the bidding cycle closes after 11:59pm on Monday night.

This means that if you place a bid early in the bidding cycle, you might be in bid position 1, but when you check again a few days later, you may find there are lots of people ahead of you.

Before the bidding cycle closes, you can remove the bid and use it on a different property. If you leave a bid on a property that is in a low position, you are unlikely to be successful at getting it.

Bidding on properties in areas with lower waiting times

Social housing stock varies across Birmingham and some areas are in high demand. There is a shortage of large properties (4 or more bedrooms) across the city.

Bidding on a property in an area with a lower waiting time can mean you are likely to get accommodation sooner. You can check the average wait times for properties across Birmingham.

Bidding on property types that are not your preferred choice

There is greater demand for houses than flats. This means it can take a very long time to secure a house, especially if you have a low band award.

To get social housing that meets your immediate needs, you might need to bid on property types that are not your preferred choice.

Page last updated: 15 June 2023