Credit-check criteria halts home search

OLDHAM’S main social housing organisation has highlighted the importance of budgeting for tenants, amid reforms which now include credit checks for people wanting homes.

First Choice Homes has reminded homeseekers of the changes after a couple contacted the Chronicle saying they have been taken off a First Choice bidding list because they failed a credit check, owing to rent arrears from a previous property.

The couple, who did not want to be named, are both in their 50s and currently live in a private rented terrace house in Oldham.

They moved out of a First Choice property in Derker a few months ago, claiming the home was damp. Since then they have lived in a number of private rented houses.

They left the Derker property owing £400 in unpaid rent to First Choice. However, the man said they had since agreed to pay the money in instalments. Although they have signed a 12-month contract for their current house, owned by a private landlords they are still looking out for a ground-floor home from First Choice.

The man said: “We have been bidding for a ground-floor flat with a walk-in shower. My wife has COPD emphysema and we thought we were eligible for the property because of this. We have medical reports supporting her case. But after bidding, we had letters from First Choice saying we would be taken off the bidding list because we were in rent arrears from a previous property. There are a lot of new laws in place now. It seems that people looking for social housing have to pay two weeks’ rent in advance and have a credit check. The new system stinks. We’ve had various private flats over the past few months and we also spent some time sleeping in a car outside a relative’s house.”

Dave Smith, customer first director at First Choice Homes, said: “Our tenant-eligibility policy includes a credit check. We do ask for two weeks’ rent in advance, which has been our policy for some time, and we have a new requirement for all new customers to pay by direct debit.

“If a customer comes to us with arrears from a previous tenancy we work with them to create a manageable repayment schedule. If a payment schedule is in place and is being met and maintained we will not generally refuse a new tenancy once the arrears have been reduced to a satisfactory level.”