Bidding.

[3Hearts1Beat]

Hello,

I was wondering if anyone could advise.

When bidding for social housing, does the bidding position number assigned to you have any kind of meaning to it or is it given simply just as an estimate of where exactly you are in the queue?

I just don’t understand, and I’m quite confused as I was told by someone that the numbers don’t mean anything at all. The person told me that when her and her DP had placed a bid on a three bedroom property with the housing, they were number 16 when the bidding cycle for that property had closed and so they weren’t even expecting to be contacted however, to their big surprise they were contacted by a Housing Officer whom had invited them along for a viewing of the property.

When the day came, they went along and attended the viewing and asked the Housing Officer, why they had been contacted as they were number 16 for the property? He told them that on the Housing Systems they had flagged up as being in position number 1 and that what we as the Tenants see on our end isn’t at all the same as what they see on the Housing systems.

Just don’t understand it at all, so incredibly confusing. Can anyone shed light?

Thank you.

You would be surprised by how many people reject properties. Some people have really unrealistic expectations of the housing they want and are literally holding out for a home on x Road, or a new build, of a townhouse for example.

What bidders see is correct (I work in council housing) and your friend may have been 16th but the 15 people before her will have turned down the home, or taken too long to respond, or may have been bidding on multiple properties and chose a different one. I'd say it's unusual to be 16th and be offered the home, but quite usual for it to go to someone who was 5th-8th on the list.

@nevesmumma thank you for your response, really appreciate it. Given the housing crisis that’s clearly very present almost everywhere in the country right now, are people really rejecting offers of suitable properties?? This really has come as surprise as I wasn’t at all expecting to even learn of such scenarios.

With regards to the bidding numbers, do they not mean anything at all or is it just depending on every Local Authority and how they run their schemes?

It really varies from place to place. They do mean something - your friend was 16th 'most eligible' for that house, but it probably means the 15 people who were eligible before her didn't bid in time, rejected it or got offered something better. Some housing associations, however, you don't get a number, you're in a band and you don't know if you're one of three gold band tenants bidding or one of 33.

And yes, unfortunately people do turn down houses a lot! It might seem quite shocking, but surprising numbers of people are fixated on the kitchen being brand new, or something similar - wanting a driveway, for example, or waiting for a new build to come up. If they're near the top of the list they may well be able to be picky, as they'll keep getting first refusal on everything that comes up (although some social housing providers have policies and you're downbanded if you reject a certain number of homes that meet your needs). Of course, some people have legitimate reasons for not wanting to bid on a particular house, such as wanting to be further away from previous DV or antisocial behaviour.

@nevesmumma OH WOW! This really is very interesting.

Do you know you’ve given me a such a great insight to this whole “bidding” system, I’ve quickly come to understand a lot more from this thread conversation with you than I have when I’ve previously challenged or put forward questions to our Tenancy Officer or just the Housing Department in general so, thank you ever so much on all the information you’ve provided.

Looks like it really is just a waiting game when it comes to this whole bidding thing as you’ve also got urgent management cases, the homeless category as well as the emergency accommodation category that could all very well knock you from your position in the queue, which can really be frustrating at times honestly.

Really hoping we’ll get something soon cause it just seems like we’ve been waiting for the longest.

You wouldn't believe how many people pass up on houses. Some individuals have very implausible standards for the kind of dwelling they see for themselves, insisting instead that they must have a brand-new townhouse or a property on x Coreball Road.

Hello I'm currently on band 2 and have been on list 4 years when I called yesterday they said i was top of band 2 ? What's does this mean does this mean I may be offered a home soon thank you 😊

The bidding position number for social housing typically serves as a rough indicator of your place in the queue, but it may not always reflect the final decision-making process. Different housing authorities may have varying systems, and what you see as your position might not align with the internal metrics used by housing officers.
In some cases, the housing authority may prioritize certain applicants based on specific criteria such as flappy dunk urgency, need, or other factors that aren’t visible to bidders. This could explain why someone who was positioned lower in the queue was still invited for a viewing; their application might have had a higher priority according to the internal system used by the housing authority.
It's understandable to feel confused by this process, as it often lacks transparency. If you have concerns or need clarity regarding your specific situation, it may be helpful to contact your housing officer directly for an explanation of how their system works and how decisions are made. This way, you can gain a better understanding of your position and what factors might influence your chances of being offered a property.

It's true that the position number in a housing queue is typically intended to provide a rough gauge of your standing, but it doesn’t always correspond to the final decision due to the varying internal criteria that housing authorities apply. Many factors, including urgency, specific getaway shootout needs, and other priority criteria, can influence who ultimately gets an offer, regardless of their initial queue position.