Bidding on vacancies (Step 3)
All available vacancies are advertised on the external Homeseeker (Housing Online) website.
You can view available vacancies without a live application for rehousing by clicking on ‘View this week’s properties’ between 00:00 Friday (Thursday evening) to 12:00 on Tuesdays.
However, to be able to place an expression of interest (bid) on a property, you’ll need to have a live application. For more information on how to do this, see the How to make an application section.
The advert will tell you:
- the type of property
- the street address
- number of bedrooms
- rent cost and any other charges
- any features (for example, a large garden)
- who can apply (for example, people aged over 60)
- whether we’ll give priority to any type of applicant (for example, someone whose home is being demolished)
- if we’re letting the property based on how long applicants have been on the housing register
How our system works
The Barnsley Homeseeker scheme is a Choice Based Lettings (CBL) system. This means that all vacancies are advertised and applicants are able to express interest in up to three properties per week that meet their needs.
CBL is a more flexible and customer-centred method of rehousing, different to traditional council waiting lists where properties were offered directly to the applicant at the top of the list. The aim is to allocate empty homes in a way that offers choice, meets people’s needs, and promotes the development of sustainable and balanced communities.
Bidding cycles
Available homes are advertised weekly. The advert opens at 00:00 Friday (Thursday evening) and runs until 12:00 (12noon) on Tuesdays.
There’s no ‘first come, first served’ element to placing a bid, so there’s no need to wait up or rush to apply on Friday. All expressions of interest placed within the bidding cycle will be considered in line with their priority or waiting time.
For more information about how we give priority, see the Things to know before you apply section.
Things to consider before bidding on a property
All applicants are encouraged to carefully consider both the property type and area before placing a bid on a property. There’s no requirement to use all three available bids per cycle, and applicants should be aware that if they refuse a suitable offer of accommodation that they’ve placed a bid on, it may affect the priority given to their application. In other words, only make an expression of interest on a property that you’d like to move into.
Try our interactive Homeseeker Checker Tool first
Our new interactive tool gives details on properties that have been let by area and property type, what priority band the let was made to, and the waiting time of the applicant.
If you’re a potential applicant - use this tool before completing an application to help you understand where we have housing stock, how often it becomes available, and the likely waiting time to be rehoused.
This is particularly helpful for applicants who are flexible about which areas they want to move to.
Research the area
It's helpful to get to know the area you're looking to move to.
Please note - our available properties are typically advertised at the point we receive notice to end tenancy from the outgoing tenant. This means the outgoing tenant is often still in the property, so if you’re going to visit the area before bidding, please don’t knock on the door or enter the garden as it’s someone’s home.
Online tools like Google Maps and Street View can be a useful source of information when considering a bid on a property:
You may also want to look at local amenities such as:
What happens once you’ve placed a bid
Once the Homeseeker advert closes, the successful applicant will typically be contacted within 7 days to discuss the property. If it’s suitable, they will be made a provisional offer of accommodation. Any properties that are refused at this point will be reoffered to applicants from the original list in either priority or waiting time, dependent on the type of let.
We currently receive more than 150 bids on average per available property, so unfortunately, we’re unable to contact unsuccessful applicants directly to advise of bid positions.
