I want a transfer to another TA property. What do I do?

Talk to us if your home isn't suitable

We must make sure that your temporary home is suitable. This means that it must be:

• The right size for you and your family
• Manageable in terms of your health
• In a suitable location
• Safe and clean

Limited supply

Temporary accommodation is in short supply and so we may not be able to offer you a home that you would choose for yourself.

For example, we may offer you a home in East London, even if you would prefer to live in Westminster.

Is your current accommodation suitable?

When making you an offer, we follow the temporary accommodation placement policy. This sets out the types of home we think are suitable for most people. It also outlines when we will consider moving you to a different temporary home.

If we think that your current home is suitable, we will not agree to move you somewhere else.

How to apply for a transfer

If you live in self contained temporary accommodation, please contact your housing association or letting agent, who will complete a transfer request form and send it to Housing Options Service.

If you live in B&B accommodation, please contact the Housing Options Service directly and explain why you want a transfer.

We will look at your circumstances and decide whether we can move you. If you want a transfer on medical grounds we will ask you to complete a Medical Assessment Form. We may contact your GP for more information if we need it. Please don't get a doctor's letter at this stage. We will then ask for the recommendations of our medical adviser before making our decision.

We will write to you to confirm our decision. This will usually be within ten working days of receiving your transfer form, however it may take longer if we need to get more information or contact your GP.

If we do not agree to transfer you

We will only reconsider our decision if you give us fresh information, that we have not seen before, in support of your case.

If we do agree to transfer you

We will tell you what type of property we think is suitable. We will put your details on a waiting list and will contact you when a suitable property becomes available.

Waiting times

We will give you priority for a move based on your circumstances. Details of how we do this can be found here. Even if we give you very high priority, we usually can't move you straight away. If you require a large property (three-bedrooms or more) or you can't manage stairs, unfortunately it may be a long time before we can move you.

I don't qualify for a transfer, but still want to move...

If you don't qualify for a transfer but you still really want to move, we can still give you money to help you find your own home through our Resettlement Grant Scheme or we can help you find a home that suits you through our Fresh Start Scheme. If you choose either of these options we will discharge our duty to provide you with permanent accommodation. This means that you will not be allowed to bid for a permanent home via Choice.

If you are interested in the Resettlement Grant Scheme or the Fresh Start Scheme, please contact us at HOS and we will be happy to help.