Tutorials

Welcome to Choice Based Letting. To help you understand the scheme and the website that you are about to log in, please see the following tutorials:

User Guide – How to recover your password
User Guide – How to use the CBL system
User Guide – Getting started with CBL and how to update security features
 

  Disclaimer

Disclaimer

Even though care has been taken in the preparation and publication of the contents of the Cork County Council’s Choice Based Letting website, Cork County Council does not assume legal or other liability for any inaccuracy, mistake, mis-statement or any other error of whatsoever nature contained herein. Cork County Council hereby formally disclaims liability in respect of such aforesaid matters. The information contained within Cork County Council’s Choice Based Letting website is of a condensed and general information nature only and can change from time to time. It should not, by itself, be relied upon in determining legal rights or other decisions. Readers / users are advised to verify, by direct and live contact with Cork County Council, any information on which they may wish to rely. Cork County Council has endeavoured to attribute copyright or other intellectual right to the rightful owners where such course has been appropriate. Where any attribution has been missed or overlooked Cork County Council, on being informed, will correct and otherwise make good. Cork County Council has not reviewed any or all of the sites linked to its website. Cork County Council is not responsible for the content of any site linked to its website or any off-site pages. These links where they are inserted, if any, are provided solely as a convenience.

Cork County Council shall have no liability to the user either in contract or in tort for any loss suffered by the user resulting from the use of the Choice Based Letting website. The user shall have sole responsibility for maintaining and keeping safe their user name and password details.

Due to the nature of interactive services and the Internet generally, Cork County Council gives no warranty or commitment that the use of the sites will be free from interruptions or errors and Cork County Council shall have no responsibility or liability in respect of or arising out of any communication or network defects, breakdown, malfunction, error, delays or failures (whether temporary or otherwise) encountered by users while using the sites.

Clicking on certain links within Cork County Council’s websites may take the user to other websites and Cork County Council shall have no responsibility or liability of any kind for the accuracy or content of any information or any other aspect of any other websites.

Cork County Council has no responsibility to the user in respect of services supplied by third parties and gives no warranty as to satisfactory quality, fitness for purpose or compliance with any description in relation to such services. The terms implied by Section 39 of the Sale of Goods and Supply of Services Act, 1980 of Ireland are hereby excluded from these terms and conditions in respect of any services supplied by third parties.

These terms and conditions shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the Laws of Ireland (excluding laws governing the conflict of laws) and the parties submit to the jurisdiction of the Irish Courts. This will not prevent Cork County Council from pursuing a claim for breach of contract, copyright infringement or otherwise in respect of these terms and conditions in any other jurisdiction.

Copyright Notice

Unless otherwise stated or appearing, the copyright and other intellectual rights attaching to information or data contained within the Choice Based Letting website are held by Cork County Council. Reproduction of all or any of the contents of the Cork County Council websites, in any form, is prohibited save with the prior written authorisation of Cork County Council. Cork County Council hereby gives a general consent to the use of such information for bona fide personal use and also for the recopying of all or any of the contents of the Cork County Council websites for genuine and bona fide information dissemination purposes where the source of the information is properly acknowledged and where such acknowledgment contains and refers to the web address of Cork County Council. However, this general consent does not extend to the use or copying of Ordnance Survey data/maps as copyright over such data is vested in Ordnance Survey of Ireland.

Cork County Council Coat of Arms/Crest/Logo Notice

Any downloading, copying, use or reuse of Cork County Council's Coat of Arms, Crest or Logo, shall be unauthorised unless downloaded, copied, used or reused in accordance with the prior written permission of Cork County Council (to which conditions may attach). The purpose of this restriction is to protect the Coat of Arms, the County Council and the County and its people from an inappropriate use of the Coat of Arms/Crest/Logo or from any use which might reflect badly on the County, its citizens or its County Council. Application for such permission should be made prior to downloading, copying, use or reuse to the Director of Corporate Affairs at

corporate.affairs@corkcoco.ie

. Generally there will be no charge or cost implications attaching to the permission.

  Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

  • 1) What is Choice Based Letting (CBL)?
     

    Choice Based Letting is a way that you can express your interest in renting a suitable council property in your preferred area.  A ‘suitable’ property is one that you have chosen to express interest in and that matches your housing needs.

     

    Please note that only those applicant households that have expressed an interest in a bid dwelling under Choice Based Letting whose household composition suits the property type will be considered initially e.g. if you are approved for a 3 bed unit and bid on a 4 bed unit then you may not be considered.

    Also note that you will need to log in every week to check whether you wish to express an interest in the properties advertised in that week. You will also receive a weekly text alert to your mobile phone if a property in which you can express an interest is advertised on the CBL system once you have logged your mobile number on the CBL system when you initially sign in to the CBL system. You can also use the tablets provided in your local council offices or the internet facilities in your local library branch.

     
  • 2) What properties will be available using CBL?
     

    There will be a range of residential properties available.  They will be advertised on the CBL website cbl.corkcoco.ie.  Cork County Council will keep the list of available properties up-to-date but you will need to check it every week. 

    Please note that most properties will be advertised on CBL, those that are specially adapted or properties required for particular circumstances such as units for the elderly will not be advertised.

     
  • 3) Why is Cork County Council bringing in this new system?
     

    Choice Based Letting is being introduced as part of the Social Housing Strategy 2020. It will show you available properties for letting.  It has worked well elsewhere.  We believe it will work well here too. 

     
  • 4) What happens if several people are interested in letting the same property as me?
     

    If there is more than one household interested in letting the property that you are interested in, Cork County Council will decide which household is allocated the property.  When deciding this, we will take account of factors such as:

    • your waiting time on Cork County Council’s waiting list
    • your family size
    • the type of property needed
    • your category of need under the Allocation Scheme and
    • good Estate Management
     
  • 5) If I am interested in a CBL property, what do I do?
     

    You must  place an expression of interest on it online. Note Cork County Council will only contact the successful applicant and  call them in for an interview.

    Please note that contact made by Cork County Council with the applicant household which it is considering for allocation under choice based letting does not constitute an official offer of housing. In addition the applicant household will have to pass the vetting procedure of Cork County Council.  This procedure comprises of an interview and a Garda Check and Estate Management clearance as well as the provision of updates to your housing file. 

     
  • 6) I don’t have access to the Internet – what should I do?
     

    If you don’t have access to the internet, you are welcome to come into the main Divisional Offices in Annabella, Mallow, Kent Street, Clonakilty and Floor 4, County Hall as well as the council offices in Fermoy, Bantry and Youghal to use our tablet devices.  You can also go to your local library to use the internet once you are a member of the library.  You can also use a Smartphone or a tablet to access the CBL website. You will receive a weekly text alert to your mobile phone if a property in which you can express an interest in is advertised on the CBL system once you have entered your mobile number on the CBL system.

     
  • 7) If I get a property through this system will I be taken off the housing list?
     

    Yes as you will be adequately housed.

     
  • 8) Can I still make a Housing Assistance Payment application?
     

    If you are an applicant on the Social Housing Support waiting list, you can still apply for HAP.  Please note that HAP is a social housing support.    If you are housed under HAP you are adequately housed but may submit a transfer application request for consideration.

     
  • 9) Will CBL affect my city council application?
     

     If you are housed through CBL, you are removed from both social housing support waiting lists. If you refuse a property offered to you under CBL by a local authority, you will be deferred for one year off the social housing support waiting list of each local authority.

     
  • 10) Will transfer tenants be eligible for CBL?
     

    Yes

     
  • 11) What is the difference between CBL and the current housing list?
     

    Applicants on the Social Housing Support waiting list can express interest online in CBL Dwellings advertised.  If applicants do not express an interest in a property or the properties advertised, they will not be considered for them.

     
  • 12) What happens to my preference areas with regard to North Cork, South Cork and West Cork?
     

    Preferred areas can cover up to three areas:  North Cork, South Cork, and West Cork. If, for example, you have selected an area in North Cork you will see all available properties in the North Cork.

     
  • 13) Is it first come first serve as to when I place my expression of interest online on a property in a given week?
     

    No.  Allocations are made in accordance with the Allocation Scheme.

    If there is more than one household interested in letting the property that you are interested in, we will decide which household is allocated the property.  When deciding this, we will take account off actors such as:

    • your waiting time on Cork County Council’s waiting list
    • your family size
    • the  type of property needed
    • your category of need under the Allocation Scheme and
    • good Estate Management
     
  • 14) What will happen my time on the list with CBL? Will I still have the same time?
     

    Your time will remain the same.  However if you do not express interest in a property or in properties online, you will not be considered for them.  As most properties will be on Choice Based Letting going forward, you will miss out on being considered for them if you do not place your interest online.

     
  • 15) I am not able to work a computer, what should I do?
     

    A demo can be shown to you by a member of the housing staff in the main divisional office.

     
  • 16) How many houses can I submit a bid for?
     

    You can place one expression of interest per property advertised.

     
  • 17) If I submit a bid for a house that was taken down from the website a few months ago, and is now back online, will my previous bid be taken into account?
     

    No.  You will have to express interest online again if you have an active social housing support application.

    Please note that Cork County Council reserves the right not to allocate a bid dwelling under Choice Based Letting to applicant households in a given week and reserves the right to re-advertise the bid dwelling again in another time period.

     
  • 18) What if I miss the deadline for expressing interest in a property?
     

    You will not be considered for the allocation of that dwelling if you have not expressed an interest in it.

    Please note that Cork County Council does not accept responsibility for applicant households who miss the deadline to express their interest in a property underChoice Based Letting.

     
  • 19) What if I want a list of those that expressed an interest in the dwelling?
     

    Please note that details of individual household applicants for a bid dwelling under Choice Based Letting will not be available for public release in accordance with Data Protection requirements.

    A Properties update category will be available to you on cbl.corkcoco.ie to confirm at what stage in the allocation process the property is at, i.e. has it been allocated or still in the allocation process.

     
  • 20) How do I know if I have correctly checked out a property on the CBL system?
     

    Before the CBL period ends you can check your submitted properties tab, if the property appears then you have successfully checked out the property and will be included for consideration when the property is being allocated.  Once the period ends you can view the Properties Update tab to see at what stage of the allocation process the property is at.

    If the property does not appear in your submitted properties tab during the CBL period then you may not have checked out the property fully. You should check your basket and see if the property is there. If it is then it needs to be checked out fully.  If it is not there then you have not selected this property at all.  You must go to the list of available properties tab and begin the selection process again.