The LHS Choice Based Lettings process breaks down into four discrete steps for the creation of property adverts, publication, acceptance of bids through to offers of property.

Step 1- Advertise Properties 

As properties come into the void inspection process, housing staff mark them as “Ready to Advertise”. This allows your staff to maintain control of which properties are advertised and when they appear. 

LHS’s data transfer system then extracts the relevant information out of your housing management system, and collates it on the “back office” website (the system used by housing staff to control the lettings process).

Housing staff can then preview the adverts as they will appear in the freesheet (magazine), and on the website. Any extra details can then be added to “sell” the property as required.

On publication day, the adverts appear on the public web site and in the freesheet. Applicants then ‘bid’ via the public website within the pre-determined ‘bidding’ cycle.

Step 2 – Publish Freesheet

When all of the properties that are going to be advertised have been labelled and collated, the LHS system creates a freesheet. The freesheet creation process carries out a number of activities:

1) A Portable Document (PDF) is created by the system. This is passed through desktop publishing software to get a “professional” feel. The PDF is posted up on the public website which allows applicants to download a full copy of the magazine.

2) Applicants can generate their own “personal freesheets” by using the search facilities so that only adverts that they are interested in are shown.

3) The PDF is passed to commercial printers who print the magazine. This is then distributed throughout the area.

The applicants are now in a position to express their interest in the advertised properties by entering their bids via the public website.

Step 3 – Enter Bids

When the applicants receive the freesheet, or browse the electronic versions on the web site available to the public, they decide which properties interest them. 

For vulnerable or high priority applicants, and in an effort to ensure that the “safety net” is maintained, support staff and external support agencies are able to provide guidance and assistance. If required they may even bid on behalf of their applicants. In this way we can ensure that the Choice Based Letting system helps and supports the less able.

Bids can be made by post, via the internet, through automated telephone systems and by text message. 

The LHS Choice Manager solution offers multiple bidding channels to ensure that all sections of the customer base can exercise choice.

Step 4 - Offer The Property

As the bids are received, they are registered against the advertised property. When the bidding cycle closes, LHS creates a prioritised short list of eligible bids for each property that was advertised. The order of the list is determined by the banding and priority date. 

LHS then notifies the Landlord staff that the shortlists are “ready to offer”, and they log onto the back office system. The shortlist screens are accessed to arrange offers and viewings of the properties. As the offer process progresses, the same screens are then used to enter the offer and viewing results, maintaining a full history of the rejections, acceptances and refusals relating to the property and tenancy as these are created.