Allocations service has resumed
The following elements of our allocations service have now resumed:
- Offer letters
- New build sign-ups and handovers
- Sign-ups for empty properties
- Direct exchanges
This is following the easing of Government restrictions and the publication of the Department for Communities’ Covid-19 guidance for tenants and landlords.
Signing for your new home
The majority of the sign-up process will be undertaken over the telephone. Signing of your tenancy agreement and receiving your keys for your new home will be completed face-to-face but strictly by appointment only and with the appropriate Covid-19 safety measures in place.
For the forthcoming new build sign-ups in Derry~Londonderry, appointments will be conducted at Apex Head Office prior to handover day where you will receive your keys from our property services team.
Guidance for tenants visiting our offices
For empty home relets, the sign-up will be conducted at your new home by appointment only, where the keys will also be available.
Pre-screening questionnaire
24 hours prior to your appointment date, a pre-screening questionnaire will be completed via telephone to check on your wellbeing and those in your household. We will also talk you through the safety measures that you should expect to be in place during your appointment.
Your appointment
It’s really important that you attend your appointment at your allocated time. Only one person should attend (unless it is a joint tenancy) and the appointment should take no longer than 15 minutes to complete.
Keeping safe when moving home
You may wish to review the Public Health Agency’s guidelines on hygiene and infection control.
- Removal firms will need to adjust usual procedures in order to ensure moves happen as safely as possible and that social distances are observed.
- We encourage you to contact removal firms as early as possible in advance of your move.
- You and your household should also try and do as much of the packing yourself as possible.
- Where possible, you should clean your belongings with standard domestic cleaning products before they are handled by others, including removal firms.
- Whilst the removers are in your home, you should ensure any internal doors are open and seek to minimise your contact with the crew, maintaining a distance of at least 2 metres where possible.
- All parties should wash their hands and avoid touching surfaces where possible to reduce the risk of transmitting the coronavirus.
- You should not provide refreshments to removers but you should ensure they have access to hand washing facilities, using separate towels or paper towels if possible, which should be washed or disposed of safely afterwards.
Further guidance on house moves can be found below:
Department for Communities advice on moving home during coronavirus outbreak
