Direct Offers

What is a Direct Offer?

  • A direct offer means that an applicant will not bid on properties, but will receive one offer of suitable accommodation.
  • Direct offers are made by the housing service outside of the choice-based lettings system. 

Why does the Council use Direct Offers?

  • The Council is committed to advertising as many vacant properties as possible through Moving With Dacorum.
  • Sometimes it is necessary to make a direct offer of a property outside of the scheme, for example a property may be identified for a specific applicant and offered to them without being advertised through the bidding process.
  • Dacorum Borough Council remains transparent and fair in all its lettings, but to make best use of our stock there are sometimes reasons for properties being let without being advertised.

Are Direct Offer properties advertised?

  • If properties are let by making a direct offer, they are not advertised and the results are not published in the same way that we do with choice-based lettings. 
  • Due to the nature of some of the cases requiring such moves, there is often a need for enhanced confidentiality.
  • We use direct offers in many different circumstances, including but not limited to:
    • Homeless applicants owed the main housing duty
    • To match applicants requiring complex adaptations to a suitable property;
    • For applicants living in Mother & Baby units;
    • In the case of hard-to-let properties (advertised at least twice with no suitable bids);
    • For applicants in high-risk priority groups where a sensitive letting is required; or
    • For individual cases that would usually fall outside of this policy but have an urgent or high risk housing need (these offers can only be approved by the internal Housing Panel).
    • Flexi Care applicants;
    • Supported Housing applicants who do not have sufficient accessibility to placing bids can request to go on the assisted bidding system. (Information surrounding location and scheme preference is taken and applicants will be contacted by the Housing Needs Team.)