Housing Applications
Thank you for your interest in being a PFH resident. Please complete all sections of this form to be added to our waiting list.
When selecting a property type, or area to live in, if you choose as many suitable options as possible you are more likely to be matched sooner.
If you are unable to make an application yourself, you can ask a family member or friend to do it for you. If this is not possible, please call us on 01482 223 783 and we will be happy to help.
Housing Application Form
Residents frequently asked questions
Do you have a question regarding residency at PFH? You can submit your questions by following the link below.
You can apply to join our waiting list by completing the Housing Application form. If you are unable to do this, you can ask a friend or family member to complete it for you. If you are still unable to complete the form, you can contact us on 01482 223783. We will arrange an appointment with you to complete the form over the phone.
We are legally bound to undertake checks on an applicant’s immigration status, i.e. their ‘Right to Rent’. This means we will ask for various identification documents to prove this. We also ask for some information which proves your eligibility for rehousing with PFH, and financial details so that we can be sure our Weekly Maintenance Contribution (rents) are affordable to you. If you rent your home, we will also ask for a reference from your current and/or former landlords. If you are a homeowner, you must have equity/ capital of less than £235,000 and live in or have a connection to Hull or the East Riding of Yorkshire. In some circumstances, we can accept people onto our waiting list who do not have a connection with the area, however those WITH a local connection will always be given priority. For most of our properties, residents must be over 60, however for some areas we will accept those over 50.
Those who own a property or have previously owned a property but have transferred the ownership to someone else we will need a valuation which must have been carried out in the last 12 months. If you have sold your previous property, you must provide us with documentation on how much the property sold for. As part of the application assessment process you will be awarded points based on your circumstances. You will only be placed on waiting lists for the areas that are realistic for the points you have been awarded. For example, if you have very low points, it is unlikely you will be placed on lists for properties which are in very high demand. Once your application is made live, you will only be contacted if we have a property for which you have shown up on the shortlist. We may also from time to time contact you to check that your circumstances are the same and you wish to remain on the waiting list. However, we will always expect that if your circumstances change in a way which might affect your application, that you contact us with this information.
We are unable to tell applicants where they are on the waiting list as this can change daily with new applicants coming onto the list, some applicants being archived, and applicants’ circumstances changing and being repointed. You will be contacted by a member of the Resident Services Team if you are being shortlisted for a vacancy.
Yes, a new application appointment needs to be made. However, your application may be refused if, for example, PFH served you with a notice to quit for any reason, if you left the property with unpaid rent on the account or if you caused damage to the property which you did not make good before you left. We will also ask you to provide a reference from your current landlord.
Yes, you can, in most circumstances. There are two options available to you. One is to ‘swap’ with another resident. This is called a mutual exchange. To do this, you need to register your details online with HomeSwapper. You can log on to the Home Swapper website and register your current property and where you want to move to. The system matches up suitable candidates and we will administer the exchange from there.
You can also apply for an internal transfer. When a PFH property becomes vacant, we will look at all applicants at the top of the waiting list at that time. Note, this will include external applicants as well as internal applicants. You will be asked to provide certain information and we would need to inspect your current property. You must also have a clear rent account.
A static caravan / holiday home may be classed as equity and therefore considered when assessing your application. We also have restrictions in the licence for the length of time our properties may be left unoccupied. Individual circumstances would have to be considered by the Resident Services Manager.
The reasons for refusal will be considered and you will not receive unlimited offers of accommodation from us. We re-house people because of housing need, therefore, if a refusal is deemed unreasonable, the application may be suspended for a period or removed from the waiting list altogether. Some refusals are classed as ‘reasonable’ and therefore may not affect future offers. You will be informed of our decision and the reasons for taking it.
You can have small pets (e.g. cats / dogs) in the bungalows and non-sheltered flats which do not have a shared access. There are some circumstances when a pet may be allowed PFH Plus (sheltered) schemes, however this will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Your Area Coordinator, Scheme Manager or Waiting List Coordinator will be able to advise you further on this.
We would always expect pet owners to care for their pet in a responsible way which does not adversely affect other residents. If dogs are walked in communal areas, mess must be cleaned up and disposed of appropriately, and noise must be kept to a minimum. Pets may visit residents living in sheltered housing schemes however must be kept on a lead and always supervised when in communal areas (internal and external). Guide Dogs for the blind and Hearing Dogs are allowed in all our schemes, please contact us for further information should this be the case.
We are unable to predict how long you may be waiting. Ultimately, we are unable to re-house everyone on our waiting list; therefore, we cannot guarantee we will ever be able to offer accommodation. However, at the application appointment you will only be placed on to the waiting lists which you have a reasonable chance of qualifying for.
If you are being considered for a vacancy, we will contact you regarding this. If you are not contacted, you are not being considered currently. If this is in an area you have requested you will already be on the list, and you do not have to contact us on a regular basis, unless to indicate there are changes to your circumstances.
We will contact you if you are shortlisted for a vacancy. From time to time, we may contact you to confirm details. Otherwise, we will carry out waiting list reviews every three years which you must respond to if you want to remain on the waiting list otherwise your application will be archived.
As your circumstances have now significantly changed, you will need to complete a new application so that your situation can be re-assessed based on your new circumstances.
As your circumstances have now changed, you will need to complete a new application so that your situation can be re-assessed.
If you are homeless or at risk of losing your home, PFH has a duty to refer you to the Council’s Homelessness team. They will provide you specialist advice based on your individual circumstances. They will ask you a series of questions and advise you on your options. Pickering and Ferens Homes is unlikely to be able to assist if you are homeless as we do not have many properties standing empty at any one time, therefore we can only advise you to go to Hull City Council for assistance. Please be aware if you have nowhere to live because you have sold your property then you are classed as intentionally homeless and may not be seen as a priority.
In some circumstances, PFH can rehouse people who do not live in or have a connection with the Hull or East Riding area, however applicants that do will always be given priority. Therefore, applicants without a connection would only ever be considered if there were no other qualifying applicants on the waiting list at that time.
People are housed on individual needs and circumstances. It may be that they have different needs to yourself and that you are unaware of them. The property itself may have certain facilities which better suit another person. We will not discuss the specifics of any other application with other applicants.
If you apply for areas in which only 60+ are accepted, anyone under the age of 60 applying would not have their needs/circumstances taken into consideration when pointing the application, and the application would be in the name of the qualifying person only. Anyone under 60 would not be named on the Licence (Letter of Appointment) and would therefore have no legal right to remain in the property should the of-age resident leave, for whatever reason.
All non-eligible persons would be asked to sign an acknowledgement of this and would be required to vacate the property within four weeks of the Licensee leaving. An exception to this may be if the property being offered is open to applicants aged over 50 and the partner moving in is 50 or over. Please note if a person moving in is under 50, they will be required to sign the non-dependent declaration to accept that they would have no legal right over the property should the person named on the licence leave at any time.
We would ask that applicants only apply when they are ready to move.
We have few properties outside of Hull – these are in Patrington, Hornsea and Tickton and Bridlington.
The WMC (rent) on our properties varies depending on location, size, etc. We would be happy to provide you with specific information on rent and service charges when you know what areas/ property types you are applying for.
Many of our properties already have walk-in showers. If you have specified to us that you only want a property with this type of bathing facility, we would only contact you for vacancies with these facilities. If you accept a property with bathing facilities that you feel are unsuitable for your needs, then we are unable to change this however you may request permission from us to pay for/install more suitable facilities yourself. If, however, your circumstances change, and your present facilities are no longer suitable please contact us and we will advise you of the options available.
We will require a reference that shows you have made consistent payments towards your arrears. If no attempt has been made, then we will not consider you. If you feel the reasons for your rent arrears are more complicated and require more in-depth discussion, then an appointment can be made to see our Waiting List Co-ordinator.