Acceptance or Refusal of Accommodation Offers
Case reference FOI2025/01152
Received 5 November 2025
Published 24 November 2025
Last amended 24 November 2025
Request
We write to request certain information from your authority’s housing department, under the Freedom of Information Act 2000 (the Act).
We would like to request information and copies of your authority’s documents (where applicable) relating to how your authority currently fulfils and has historically fulfilled its statutory duties towards homeless applicants (Applicants) following the acceptance or refusal of an accommodation offer (an Offer) and the termination of the ‘main housing duty’ under section 193 of the Housing Act 1996 (the Housing Act).
For the avoidance of doubt, if providing the requested information/documents in one instalment would delay your authority’s response, Shelter would be grateful to receive the requested information/documents in tranches as it/they become(s) available. By email or submitted by portal to the Local Authorities listed in the Annex 210
The Request
Please can you provide us with responses to the questions listed below and send us copies of all available documents to support such responses.
Background: We understand that a local authority’s housing department can discharge its statutory duties when it secures suitable accommodation for Applicants under section 193 Housing Act. We are interested in all information and documents relating to the steps taken by your authority’s housing department following an Applicant’s acceptance or refusal of an offer under section 193 of the Housing Act, including the procedures for notifying Applicants about the consequences of acceptance and refusal, their rights to review, and the termination of the ‘main housing duty’ under section 193 of the Housing Act.
Questions:
1. Please provide copies of any policies, guidelines and/or training prepared and/or followed by your authority’s housing department which relate to the practice of notifying Applicants of an Offer in discharge of the ‘main housing duty’, and the steps to be taken by your authority’s housing department where an Applicant accepts or refuses an Offer.
2. Please confirm what information is provided, and in what format, to Applicants when your authority’s housing department makes an Offer in discharge of the ‘main housing duty’.
In particular:
(a) Please confirm whether, and if so how, Applicants are advised in relation to:
(i) the potential consequences of accepting or refusing an Offer, including as regards the potential termination of the authority’s ‘main housing duty’; and
(ii) the Applicant’s right to request a review.
(b) To the extent your authority’s housing department uses any templates and/or precedents for such communications, please provide copies of the same.
(c) Please provide copies of the information provided to the Applicants in receipt of the five most recent Offers made by your authority’s housing department, including the Offer itself and any subsequent correspondence.
3. Please confirm what information is provided, and in what format, after an Applicant accepts or refuses an Offer and your authority’s housing department terminates its ‘main housing duty’.
In particular:
(a) Please confirm whether it is your authority’s housing department’s practice to always send a separate letter to notify the Applicant of the termination of the ‘main housing duty’ after the acceptance or refusal of an Offer. 310
(b) Please confirm, and if so how, Applicants are advised in relation to:
(i) the consequences of your authority’s housing department terminating its ‘main housing duty’; and
(ii) the Applicant’s right to request a review.
(c) To the extent your authority’s housing department uses any templates and/or precedents for such communications, please provide copies of the same.
(d) Please provide copies of the information provided in the five most recent cases where an Applicant has accepted or refused an Offer and your authority’s housing department has terminated its ‘main housing duty’.
4. If your authority’s housing department’s approach to notifying Applicants of Offers and/or the steps to be taken where an Applicant refuses an Offer is currently under and/or has been subject to review and/or legal challenge, please provide further details (and if already known, the outcome of that review and/or legal challenge).
Response
1. Please provide copies of any policies, guidelines and/or training prepared and/or followed by your authority's housing department which relate to the practice of notifying Applicants of an Offer in discharge of the 'main housing duty', and the steps to be taken by your authority's housing department where an Applicant accepts or refuses an Offer.
No specific policies in place.
2. Please confirm what information is provided, and in what format, to Applicants when your authority's housing department makes an Offer in discharge of the 'main housing duty'. In particular:
(a) Please confirm whether, and if so how, Applicants are advised in relation to:
(i) the potential consequences of accepting or refusing an Offer, including as regards the potential termination of the authority's 'main housing duty'; and - within the letter
(ii) the Applicant's right to request a review - within the letter
(b) To the extent your authority's housing department uses any templates and/or precedents for such communications, please provide copies of the same - attached
(c) Please provide copies of the information provided to the Applicants in receipt of the five most recent Offers made by your authority's housing department, including the Offer itself and any subsequent correspondence –
1) The Property It is an Assured Shorthold tenancy. The fixed term of the tenancy will be 12 months. A general description of the property is as follows: Two-bedroom ground floor flat with a garden. The monthly rent will be £1295 per calendar month (PCM). The estate agent is Martin & Co and we have received the relevant certificates. This offer will expire on 27th of October 2025. After this date you will no longer be able to accept it.
2) The Property This letter is to offer you a tenancy. A general description of the property is as follows: Three-bedroom maisonette The tenancy will be an Assured. The weekly rent will be £145.92 The weekly service charge is £15.44. The landlord is Town and Country Housing.
3) This letter is to offer you a tenancy. A general description of the property is as follows: One bedroom ground floor flat with a flush floor shower and gas central heating. The tenancy will be a social housing tenancy. The weekly rent will be £110.33 and £14.21 service charge. The landlord is Town and Country Housing.
4) The Property This letter is to offer you a tenancy. A general description of the property is as follows: One bedroom Ground Floor Flat. The tenancy will be an assured tenancy. The weekly rent will be £117.67. The landlord is Town and Country.
5) This letter is to offer you a tenancy. A general description of the property is as follows: Studio Flat The tenancy will be an assured tenancy The weekly rent will be £103.73 The weekly service charge is £34.16. The landlord is West Kent Housing Association. Final offer letter sent via the online portal.
3. Please confirm what information is provided, and in what format, after an Applicant accepts or refuses an Offer and your authority's housing department terminates its 'main housing duty'. In particular:
(a) Please confirm whether it is your authority's housing department's practice to always send a separate letter to notify the Applicant of the termination of the 'main housing duty' after the acceptance or refusal of an Offer - Yes, letter sent via online portal. 310
(b) Please confirm, and if so how, Applicants are advised in relation to:
(i) the consequences of your authority's housing department terminating its 'main housing duty'; and - within the letter
(ii) the Applicant's right to request a review - within the letter
(c) To the extent your authority's housing department uses any templates and/or precedents for such communications, please provide copies of the same - attached
(d) Please provide copies of the information provided in the five most recent cases where an Applicant has accepted or refused an Offer and your authority's housing department has terminated its 'main housing duty'
1) The S193(2) Main duty comes to an end if any of the following occurs: Section 193(7) (7AA) You accept or refuse a private rented sector offer having been informed in writing
(i) the possible consequence of refusal or acceptance of the offer,
(ii) your right to request a review of the suitability of the accommodation and
(iii) the effect under Section 195A of a further Application to a local housing authority within two years of acceptance of the offer. Private Rented Sector Offer I am satisfied that the duty to provide you with accommodation had come to an end as Section (7AA) applies to you and you accepted a Private Rented Sector Offer.
2) I am satisfied that the duty to provide you with accommodation had come to an end as Section 193(6)(c) applies to you. This is because you accepted the Part 6 offer. As a result, I am satisfied that the Council is entitled to end its S193(2) Main dutytowards you. This means that you w ill not receive any other offers.
3) I am satisfied that the duty to provide you with accommodation had come to an end as Section 193(6)(c) applies to you. This is because you accepted the Part 6 offer. As a result, I am satisfied that the Council is entitled to end its S193(2) Main d uty towards you. This means that you will not receive any other offers.
4) I am satisfied that the duty to provide you with accommodation had come to an end as Section 193(6)(c) applies to you. This is because you accepted the Part 6 offer. As a result, I am satisfied that the Council is entitled to end its S193(2) Main d uty towards you. This means that you will not receive any other offers.
5) I am satisfied that the duty to provide you with accommodation had come to an end as Section 193(6)(c) applies to you. This is because you accepted the Part 6 offer. As a result, I am satisfied that the Council is entitled to end its S193(2) Main duty towards you. This means that you will not receive any other offers.
4. If your authority's housing department's approach to notifying Applicants of Offers and/or the steps to be taken where an Applicant refuses an Offer is currently under and/or has been subject to review and/or legal challenge, please provide further details (and if already known, the outcome of that review and/or legal challenge).
Information Not Held.
Documents
This is Tunbridge Wells Borough Council's response to a freedom of information (FOI) or environmental information regulations (EIR) request.