Choice Based Letting (CBL) is a method of social housing allocation which is designed to offer more choice and involvement by qualified households in selecting a new home.  Available social housing by the CBL method will be openly advertised, allowing qualified households to apply for available social homes.

A “qualified household” is one who has applied and is approved for social housing support or one who is already in receipt of social housing support and who has applied and is approved to transfer to another form of support. 

Roscommon County Council intend to commence the CBL Scheme for houses in low demand areas.  The properties will be advertised in the local newspaper at the beginning of each month, on the Council’s web site www.roscommoncoco.ie and on Social Media.   Applicants will be asked to submit an expression of interest for properties for which they wish to be considered.   Properties may not be displayed every month depending on availability.

The scheme only applies to properties which have been specifically designated by the Housing Department for CBL and are then referred to as “bid dwellings”.

Expression of Interest applications can only be made by:

• Qualified households on the Council’s social housing list; and
• Be made in writing or by email to cbl@roscommoncoco.ie within 10 working days from the date of publication of the notice advertising the availability of the property.

In cases, where there are a number of applications for the same “bid dwelling”, the decision as to who will be offered the tenancy will be based on the Council’s Allocation Scheme.

Those on the Housing waiting list can only express an interest in the properties for which they are eligible in terms of the number of bedrooms.

It should be noted that the Housing Department may refuse to allocate or suspend the allocation of a dwelling to a person where the Department considers that;

• A member of the household is/has been engaged in anti-social behaviour;
• That an allocation to that person would not be in the interest of good estate management; or
• That the person failed to provide information which the Housing Department considers necessary in connection with an application for an allocation.

Furthermore, when considering the allocation of a “bid dwelling” to a particular household, the Housing Department shall review the social housing assessment carried out in respect of that household and make a fresh determination of the household’s eligibility for social housing support.

Should the Council request further information to assist in determining eligibility, the onus is on the applicant to return the requested information within the timeframe specified in the further information letter. Failure to return the requested information, the expression of interest application will no longer be considered.

In the event that a household that has expressed an interest in a property subsequently refuses an offer, the household cannot bid for any other CBL properties for a period of one year commencing on the date of refusal. 

Please note that some of the properties may require refurbishment and this will be carried out prior to allocation.