Decant policy

6.1 Where an unplanned event occurs (for example a fire, flood, storm damage or major leak) that results in a WHBC tenant having to be moved straight away because the property is unsafe or uninhabitable, temporary accommodation will be arranged until the situation can be fully assessed and/or fully resolved. The following options may be considered and will depend on the availability and suitability of accommodation and the relative costs. Whilst we will seek to provide temporary accommodation as near to a tenant’s home as possible, this may not always be feasible and sometimes accommodation may be located outside the local area.

6.2 Options include:

• Tenant staying with family or friends
• WHBC’s temporary accommodation
• Guest rooms in WHBC’s sheltered housing schemes
• Bed and breakfast or hotel accommodation
• WHBC’s own housing stock (depending on availability)
• Temporary accommodation made available for this purpose by a partner agency or private sector landlord
• Accommodation sought from a neighbouring local authority

6.3 Inconvenience and additional costs. The daily rate is set out in Appendix 1. In exceptional circumstances WHBC will consider whether a larger sum is appropriate. If the family or friends are not in the local area, we will also consider paying reasonable travel costs for the tenant to stay with them. The sum is payable per night and is intended to cover both food, drink and the accommodation, whilst alternative accommodation is secured.

6.4 Usually the use of friends and family temporary accommodation will not be for longer than 4 weeks.

6.5 If the situation occurs out of office hours, and the tenant cannot go to family or friends we will arrange emergency temporary accommodation until a full assessment can be made on the next working day (or up to three nights if it occurs during a Friday evening).

6.6 Once the situation has been assessed, the ‘decant’ may be classified as either an unplanned non-emergency temporary decant (e.g. due to flooding), or an unplanned permanent decant (e.g. after a major fire where the property would have to be demolished).