An internal photo of a living space

Our accessibility guide

Property guardianship is different to renting a home in the private sector. This means that it is not suitable for everyone. Our guardian recruitment process aims to ensure that the demands of guardianship will not put anyone in a difficult or vulnerable position at any point. This is important for us at Dot Dot Dot as we ask more of our guardians than a regular housing provider.

This guide is for individuals with accessibility requirements such as wheelchair users; people with hearing loss, visual or mental impairment, older people, and more. It will enable you to make an informed decision as to whether guardianship is a suitable housing option, in view of your requirements. Please read through the following information carefully.

You can be asked to move out with 28 days’ notice. This means:

  • guardians need to be flexible and able to find new accommodation, pack up and move within 28 days when given notice.
  • there is no guarantee of ongoing housing for any guardian.
  • guardianship is likely to be a poor choice if you rely on being close to a particular service or amenity (e.g. a particular hospital or transport connection).
  • you must have a move-on plan, such as being able to stay with a family member or having a plan for accessing rented accommodation.

We do not own the properties that we manage and the timeframe for our guardians’ occupation is often uncertain. This means:

  • that we cannot alter the building to meet specific needs
  • adaptations to the buildings, such as ramps, are not possible for us to install.
  • lifts in buildings might not always be maintained. Sometimes we house guardians in communal buildings alongside regular tenants. In these cases, the lifts remain the responsibility of the building owners and they would choose to maintain them or not.

The properties Dot Dot Dot manages are safe and habitable, but often are slated for reuse or demolition in the short or medium term. This means:

  • properties can have quirks not found in regular housing which affects their accessibility e.g. a lift and other facilities may be decommissioned because it is not financially or operationally viable to keep it in operation.
  • facilities might be installed in unusual locations (e.g. kitchens on a first floor).
  • properties can be in need of decoration and cosmetic maintenance.

Our guardians have particular responsibilities that they need to fulfil, such as:

  • looking out for and reporting anti-social behaviour and maintenance issues.
  • keeping the property in good order and making small repairs where possible.
  • volunteering for 16 hours a month for a good cause.
  • communicating with us about your volunteering, the property, and your move-on plan.

Next steps

Once you have successfully applied, you may see a property that you’re interested in. Get in touch with a member of our team outlining your accessibility requirements and we can advise if the property is suitable. We assess each case individually to see what reasonable measures we could take to provide housing. Please be aware that we cannot guarantee suitable housing.

Please email hello@dotdotdotproperty.com if you would like to get in touch.