You don't have to accept the accommodation you are offered by the Housing Executive or a housing association. You are entitled to three reasonable offers of accommodation.

 However, if you turn down three reasonable offers of accommodation you won't get any further offers for a year. Get advice if you are thinking about refusing an offer of accommodation.

• What is a reasonable offer?
• What happens if I refuse a reasonable offer?
• I think I've been offered unreasonable accommodation
• What happens after I complain? 

What is a reasonable offer?

The Housing Executive or housing association will decide if the accommodation is suitable. When making an offer the Housing Executive or housing association should consider the size, suitability and condition of the accommodation.

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What happens if I refuse a reasonable offer?

You are entitled to three reasonable offers. If you refuse three reasonable offers you will not get any further offers for a year. If you are a Full Duty Applicant you will lose your Full Duty Applicant status. This means that:

• you will no longer be entitled to temporary accommodation
• you will lose your 70 homelessness points on the Selection Scheme
• you will keep the points you have been awarded for your housing conditions and your health and social well being

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I think I've been offered unreasonable accommodation

Get advice if you think you have been offered unreasonable accommodation. An adviser can help you with a request to have the offer reviewed. 

Proving an offer was unreasonable

If you think the offer is unreasonable, write to the Housing Executive or housing association and ask them to review the offer. The Housing Executive or housing association will decide if the accommodation you were offered was unreasonable based on:

• the size of the property
• is the property suitable
• the condition of the property

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What happens after I complain?

The Housing Executive or housing association will review the offer of accommodation. If the Housing Executive or housing association decides that the offer was unreasonable you will be offered new accommodation. The Housing Executive or housing association will not count the unreasonable offer as one of your three offers of accommodation.

Get advice if you are thinking about refusing an offer of permanent accommodation. An adviser can help you present your case to the Housing Executive or a housing association. Advice is available from Housing Rights Service.