The law requires that reasonable preference must be given to households in certain housing circumstances. We use a banding system to do this, and to consider all applications in a fair and consistent way.
A summary of the full policy can be found in our Access to housing. Click Access to housing to download a copy.
We use seven bands (from A to G) to prioritise applications for housing. All housing and transfer applications received for rented accommodation will be assessed and placed in one of 7 bands, A to G. The table below sets out the banding scheme and gives examples of those applicants who would be eligible to be placed in each band.
This makes it easier to recognise the many different types of housing problems that people may have, helping us to make fairer decisions about who has the most urgent need for a new home.
Priority for accommodation will be based on the seriousness of housing problems such as overcrowding, medical reasons and losing your home.
Women who are 16 weeks (or more) pregnant will be classed as having a dependant.
We will offer the property to the person with the greatest need. If two people in the same band express an interest for the same property, we may let the property to the applicant who has waited the longest time in the band.
| Band | Notes | Examples |
| Band A |
This is a time limited band with 3 month review periods |
Exceptional medical need e.g, where the applicant or a member of their household is unable to leave hospital due to their current permanent housing being unsuitable to return home, statutory overcrowding where the applicant and their household are living in accommodation which is overcrowded according to Parts X or XI of the Housing Act 1985, hazardous accommodation where the applicant and their household are living in accommodation which the Council's Public Protection Officers confirm as a Category 1 Hazard under Housing Health and Safety rating system, racial harassment and hate crimes where the applicant or a member of their household has been a victim of racial harassment or other hate crime and urgently needs to be rehoused to avoid the risk of violence and there is police evidence to support this, domestic violence Band A will only be awarded in circumstances where the authority has accepted a duty under Homelessness legislation and there are significant cumulative factors that require a higher priority than Band B, Vulnerable Persons / Witness protection tier 1, releasing particular council accommodation important for meeting housing need and releasing two or more bedrooms in a house or ground floor flat/maisonette in council or partner housing association properties only |
| Band B |
This is a time limited band with either a 2 week review for homeless cases and 6 month reviews for all other cases. |
Regeneration/clearance, statutory homeless including domestic violence, urgent medical need, children leaving care, Solihull Council- tied accommodation, families in need, non-successors and special need |
| Band C | This band will apply to applicants who have more than one of the need factors detailed in bands D and/or E |
2 need factors- C2 3 need factors- C3 4 need factors- C4 |
| Band D | Households one or two bedrooms short, releasing one bedroom in a house or one or more bedrooms in a low-rise flat or maisonette in council or partner housing association properties only, vulnerable persons/witness protection tier 2, hazardous accommodation, ex-British armed forces, homeless persons, ex-offenders, households one or two bedroom short with sharing bathroom and/or kitchen with another household | |
| Band E | Children in flats, sharing bathroom and/or kitchen with another household or no inside toilet, non-urgent medical need, vulnerable persons/witness protection tier 3, couples without children living separately and hardship | |
| Band F | Identified housing need with no local connection | No local connection with an assessed housing need |
| Band G | All other applicants | All applicants who are not assessed with a housing need in bands A-F |
If you require more information regarding how we assess your housing need please click here for reference to the Access to housing.