Choice Based Lettings

Our property adverts tell you: 

• Weekly rent
• What type of property it is (for example a multi-storey flat or a cottage/house) 
• Property location 
• Number of bedrooms
• What type of bathroom facilities the property has 
• Council tax band 
• Energy efficiency rating (EPC) 
• What level the property is on within a building 
• What type of heating the property has 
• Number of access steps 
• Whether pets are allowed (information on pet ownership in a council tenancy is available on our website)
• The position of the bedroom and bathroom within the property 
• Photographs of the property 

Our bidding cycle runs from 12pm each Tuesday to 11:59pm the following Monday, with more properties being added up until 5pm on a Thursday. This may change on public holidays or when we need to carry out essential maintenance. You will be able to bid on up to 10 different properties each week. We encourage you to bid for as many properties to maximise your chances of receiving an offer. However, it is important that you choose your bids carefully and only bid for properties that you are eligible for and would accept if offered. 

The timing of your bid during the bidding cycle - whether you make it right at the beginning or at the end - has no effect on how you are prioritised for housing. 

It is important that your housing application is up to date as this information will determine if you are eligible for a property. This includes criteria such as how many people are to be housed with you and whether you have a pet. 

At the end of the bidding cycle, the person with the highest priority, based on our Housing Allocation Policy, will be contacted. This will be a phone call from a withheld number, and we will ask you some questions to ensure that the property is suitable for you. If it is, we will arrange to meet you at the property so that you can view it. 

At your viewing we will show you inside the property and any communal areas. You can ask any questions you have about the property or area at this appointment. After the viewing, you will have 48 hours to decide whether you are going to accept the offer. 

If you accept the offer, you will be invited to sign the lease agreement. At this stage, you will be responsible for paying the rent for the property. 

If you do not accept the offer, it will be offered to the next person on the priority list. We will determine if the offer was suitable for you or not. If it is decided that the offer was suitable, your application may be deferred for one year and you will not be able to bid on any properties.  

If your bid is unsuccessful, you will be able to bid in the next bidding cycle. 

Service Charges 

Heating charges may apply in some of our buildings. These charges are not covered by Housing Benefit or Universal Credit. 

Withdrawing an Offer

In some circumstances, we will withdraw an offer of housing once it has been made. This can be done if the details on your application no longer match your current living situation, for example if there are now more or less people in your household and the property being offered is no longer a suitable size for you or if, on further discussion, the property does not meet your needs due to your personal or health requirements. 

In other circumstances an offer will be withdrawn because we do not feel that the property is suitable for you. This could be because the property is deemed a "sensitive let" and there are issues in the block or surrounding area which means we have to be careful about who we house there. 

Current Tenants

If you are a current Aberdeen City Council tenant, we will contact you to arrange access to your current home to complete a property inspection before we make a full offer of housing to you. If you do not respond, or do not allow this visit to take place, we will be unable to progress the offer. 

Additional Bedrooms 

The amount of rent that you can claim through benefits may be reduced if you are considered to be under-occupying the property. More information can be found via the Scottish Government website. 

Supported Accommodation 

Sheltered, Very Sheltered and Amenity Housing will not be advertised on Housing Online. If you have an application on our Housing with Support list, you will be contacted when a suitable property becomes available.