Maine Stays / Councils / Solihull
For Solihull housing officersSelf-contained homes for households placed by Solihull.
When a household needs somewhere tonight or for the months ahead, a self-contained house keeps them together behind their own front door.
Placements
How a whole home fits a placement.
The Homelessness (Suitability of Accommodation) (England) Order 2003 treats bed and breakfast as unsuitable for a pregnant applicant or a family with children unless nothing else is available. Even then it limits the stay to six weeks. A whole house is a different kind of placement from the start.
Suitability is the council's judgement, guided by chapter 17 of the Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities. We give officers what they need to make it: the size of the home, its facilities and its safety paperwork, set out plainly.
The authority
Placements for Solihull.
Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council is the housing authority for Solihull, Shirley, Knowle, Dorridge, Chelmsley Wood, Kingshurst, Castle Bromwich, Balsall Common and Meriden.
The borough borders Coventry, where Sullivan Heights and Humber Hub are.
Solihull stretches from Castle Bromwich and Chelmsley Wood in the north to Knowle, Dorridge and Balsall Common in the south. A household's ties may run to one end of the borough or the other, so tell us the part that matters. We will say plainly whether we can offer a whole home there or close by in Coventry, which borders the borough.
What we provide
The placements we can support.
Interim stays
Placements under the interim duty, in a whole furnished home.
Longer placements
Weeks or months in the same home, reviewed with the council.
Staff accommodation
Houses for officers, agency teams and contractors.
Standards
Before a home is offered for a placement.
A home is put forward only when every one of these is in place:
- A self-contained home with a kitchen and a bathroom of its own
- Current gas safety record, electrical report and energy certificate
- Fire detection suited to the home, backed by a fire risk assessment
- Written consent to council placements from the lender, the freeholder and the insurer
- A stay length set with the council before arrival
Requests
How a placement request works.
Call or send the form
The bedrooms needed, the area and the dates.
Confirm the home
We confirm which home is free and for how long.
Terms in writing
Agreed with the council before the household arrives.
Move in
The household arrives to a furnished, clean home.
Landlords
Own a home in Solihull?
Landlords in Solihull can offer a whole home for council placements. Maine Property Solutions takes it on, arranges the consents a placement needs and keeps the paperwork current.
How landlords lease homes for council use →
Questions
Questions officers ask.
What should we send first?
The household size, the bedrooms needed, the area and the likely length of stay. Please leave out names and personal details until a home is confirmed.
Are the homes furnished?
Yes. Homes come furnished, with bills and Wi-Fi included.
Can a stay be extended?
Where the home is free, yes. Extensions are agreed with the council in writing.
Can council staff and contractors book too?
Yes. Council staff, agency teams and contractors working on council projects can book a whole house.
What standard does a home meet before it is offered?
A home is offered for a placement only once its certificates, its fire risk assessment and the written consents are in place.
Is a placement in your homes outside our district?
Yes, for our Coventry homes. Section 208 of the Housing Act 1996 then requires notice to Coventry City Council as the receiving authority. We can confirm the home's details for that notice.
Where are the homes for Solihull placements?
The borough borders Coventry, where Sullivan Heights and Humber Hub are.
Can landlords in Solihull offer homes for placements?
Yes. Maine Property Solutions leases whole homes from landlords for council placements, with the consents a placement needs.
Request
Send a placement request.
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