To complain against housing officer?

[darcylou]

I applied directly to a housing association and a week later I was invited to attend a viewing.

On the application form it clearly states that after submitting an application form you will only be contacted if you are offered a property and the property is only offered to you subject to satisfactory references.

Anyway I attended the viewing to find it was an open viewing.
I applied for the house and was told I would hear within a week if I had been successful.

Anyway the lady emailed me asking me how much rent I paid and I heard nothing back for another two weeks.
She did email me twice to advise me that they were still shortlisting.

The housing officer has just emailed me (on a bank holiday) to advise me that they will not be taking my application any further at this stage.

I am really annoyed as per application form
It clearly states that they will contact you if you are offered a property.

I do feel as if she got my hopes up and she even said herself when she emailed me the application form what the process was.

Surely it doesn't take 3 weeks
to shortlist applicants.

She didn't even ask for any references as it was just a basic cowboy application form with loads of errors and I had to resend it twice due the form being so shoddy.

I took a day of work to attend this viewing and had I known it was an open viewing I wouldn't have bothered.

AIBU to make a complaint?

I don't think it's worth complaining about personally

@purpleme12

Yeah I know it's only a small issue but she really got my hopes up and just wasted my time and said one thing when really it was another.

You knew there were many applicants. they're probably short staffed with people taking annual leave at Easter - the housing officer let you know that shortlisting was still ongoing' I really don't understand what you want to claim about.

But hey, you don't like the housing office, you don't like the form... just remove yourself from their waiting list if they aren't up to your standards.
I'm not sure where you live that you expected to be housed within a week, but you'd clearly be better off renting privately or buying somewhere.

Do you want to try for a different property with that housing association in the future? If so, don't complain.

Everyone gets their hopes up on a shortlist. It's not just you.

The thing is, once you realised they'd gone back on what they said regarding viewing, you still applied after the open viewing.

So if you'd got the house you would've been happy not to complain.

Perhaps an email querying why you've been told two different things, rather than a complaint?

Otherwise it looks a bit like sour grapes.

I don’t think you have grounds for complaint.

Also, it would serve you well (possibly) to thank her for taking the time to let you know, and reiterating that you’d be very keen if anything else came up. Stay on the right side of people who can help you.

The housing officer will almost certainly not have been paid to work on a bank holiday. It sounds like they were trying to do you a favour by letting you know you weren't shortlisted, instead of leaving you waiting.

I'm not sure what you want to complain about.

Sorry if I ask stupid questions im just a bit confused. Did you apply for housing association and get offered a viewing a week later ? It just seems odd as there is a housing crises and people walt a long tome for social housing. Housing association.and Council? So I'm wondering if there was some sort of mess up relating to that.

Also could it be that a group of people view bit only the one who's successful gets contacted.

3 weeks is not long it can depend on the property.

Getting housed in a week is unlikely unfortunately

I contacted an independent housing association (they don't rent properties to the council and are entirely independent ).

The housing officer sent me an application form and she advised me at the time they would place me on a waiting list and only contact me had I been accepted.

She contacted me a week later.

It also states on the application form that once you complete the application form and send of the Right to Rent documents that when they contact you it means you are the first priority for the property you are invited to view.

It does state that it is subject to satisfactory references but I wasn't contacted about any references.

The housing officer also stated that I would be the only viewing as they had accepted my application.

So I am just abit confused.

I am desperate to move and only applied as I just want to get out of the current place that I am in.
But none of the above wasn't made clear.

But Is it not still social housing?

I do think group viewings are bad.

Sounds like the references may have messed things up .

Anyway hopefully you won't wsot to long

@Soicanreply

They operate a social housing waiting list and a Market Rent waiting list.

I had applied for the Market Rent.

I don't think she applied for any references as no details of my employment/landlord were requested.

Thanks, hopefully I find somewhere soon