A campaign to increase awareness of tenants’ rights has been launched by Housing Minister Paul McLennan. This includes information about where renters can to go to access help and advice.
Tenants in Scotland have some of the strongest rights in the UK which include:
the right to ask for a review of a rent increase and for landlords to give the correct notice period before increasing rent
protection from illegal evictions or being asked to leave a property without proper notice
the right to a rented home that is maintained to an acceptable standard.
Speaking on his visit to Citizens Advice Scotland in Pennywell yesterday, Mr McLennan said: “People who rent their homes in Scotland already have strong rights when it comes to rent rises, maintenance and repairs and evictions. This campaign is important to make sure we increase awareness of these rights.
“We also want to highlight the end of the temporary change to rent adjudication on 31 March. This was put in place to support the transition back to market rent following the temporary cap on rents under the Cost of Living Act.
“Under existing legislation most private tenants continue to have the right to seek a review of a rent increase and I would encourage any tenant who is concerned about this to apply.
“We’re also taking forward measures in the Housing Bill to address the need for longer term action on rent control and strengthen tenants’ rights where it’s needed.”
Citizens Advice Scotland spokesperson Aoife Derry said: “A safe, secure home is foundational to people’s lives. We see thousands of people coming to our local bureaux seeking advice because they are struggling to afford their rent, as well as landlords who need support.
“The Scottish CAB network is here to help with free confidential advice for anyone who needs it. We need to see a rented sector that works for everyone, where everyone knows their rights and responsibilities, and clear information and access to redress when things go wrong.
“Scotland deserves a rented sector that works for everyone, so that more people can stay in their homes.”
Information is available to support tenants who are concerned about paying their rent:
Families across Scotland have this week commenced a 12-month mould and damp intervention programme before a full UK rollout this spring.
Delivered by Indoor Air Aware, the campaign democratising access to healthy indoor environments, and funded by Energy Action Scotland, the year-long pilot project will assist fuel poor households in preventing and safely remediating areas affected by mould and damp at home.
The project aims to address the critical issue of condensation, damp and mould in homes, specifically targeting fuel poor households with preschool-aged children in Scotland.
This innovative pilot will focus on a selection of households living in social rented, private rented and owned housing, providing them with proactive solutions to prevent mould and damp from affecting their living conditions. The initiative enables Indoor Air Aware to act on its mission to improve indoor air quality and the health and wellbeing of families.
The project pilot will involve home visits to assess the efficiency of the fabric and physics of buildings, ventilation and heating systems, and the provision of tailored guidance on household activities like drying clothes and showering – two of the main causes of moisture resulting in mould growth.
As part of the pilot, each household has been equipped with two smart air monitoring devices, coupled with a user-friendly app.
A team of expert advisors at Indoor Air Aware will remotely monitor each environment and provide guidance where improvements can be made. The energy consumed to heat each property will also be tracked.
To track progress, each participating household will regularly complete surveys to record the physical condition of their home in relation to condensation, dampness and mould and share their experiences after putting new measures and behaviour change in place.
The health of all residents will also be tracked during the pilot to identify how the improved environment impacts each resident’s level of health.
The project will run for 12 months, culminating in a final report that will outline the findings and effectiveness of the initiative and interventions.
Lisa Malyon, Founder of Indoor Air Aware, comments on the pilot launch:“The steep, sustained rise in energy costs has led to underheated homes which has exacerbated the UK’s mould epidemic.
“Living with mould can have a detrimental and often irreversible impact on people’s health – especially children whose lungs are still developing. The chemistry and physics behind why mould grows in our homes is complex, so this pilot is designed to educate households on the causes, and how to prevent mould and damp.
“We are incredibly grateful to Energy Action Scotland for funding this pilot project, which has the potential to be life-changing for those who take part.”
Frazer Scott, CEO of Energy Action Scotland comments on the grant fund:“Cold, occupied homes are a breeding ground for mould, so we really welcome the opportunity to learn more through this work with Lisa and Indoor Air Aware.
“If we equip households with the knowledge of heat, air and ventilation, we can all combat the causes of mould growth and protect ourselves and improve our health. We look forward to sharing the outcome of the pilot.”
Indoor Air Aware is home to ‘Mums Versus Mould’ a fast-growing Facebook community of 1,500 families hoping to prevent mould and damp, or safely clean and remediate their homes after the damage is already done.
Lisa shares her top 10 tips to help avoid mould and damp at home:
Do everything in your power to strike the right balance of heat, ventilation, and insulation. Mould needs moisture to start growing, so we must do what we can to avoid moisture landing on porous surfaces.
Always use the ventilation made available to you. Each day, we each create around 8 glasses of water through washing, cleaning, cooking, sweating, and breathing. Ventilation such as extractor fans and trickle vents on windows should be used to reduce the moisture in the air. Opening a window 5cm will result in less than 5% heat loss. It will feel warmer inside as the window will release moisture from the air.
Cooker hood ventilation is more effective if you cook using the back rings, instead of the front rings. Always make sure to clean cooker hood filters around once a month, or every fortnight if you use it every day.
Each day, do the daily detox. This is sometimes known as ‘back to front’ or ‘shock ventilation’ whereby you open each window of the house very wide, and all internal doors. This allows the outside air – which is generally 3.5 times cleaner than indoor air – to sweep all the moisture, stale gases, chemicals and particles out of the property, leaving behind dryer, cleaner air that is quicker and cheaper to heat.
Establish dry rooms and wet rooms, and don’t mix the two. Never do anything ‘wet’ such as drying clothes, using a steam iron, or having a heated aquarium in dry rooms (living rooms / bedrooms etc). These activities should be done in the bathroom or kitchen, with good ventilation.
Do your maths. Many households are opting to air dry their laundry using a dehumidifier instead of a tumble dryer. My own experiments have proved it’s normally more economical to use a tumble dryer – but make sure it’s well vented and used in a room with an open window.
Do not attempt to clean large areas of mould. Any space larger than the size of a tea-towel should be professionally cleaned and remediated if necessary.
Never use bleach-based products, and don’t try to mask the problem with stain blockers. Bleach feeds mould growth, and can break down silicons, leaving gaps around the bath to create much large water damage issues.
Do not get duped by ‘mould sprays’ as these contain sodium hypochlorite which is bleach.
Pure white vinegar on a microfibre cloth is the best way to remove mould, followed by another wipe down with water and a few drops of liquid soap or washing up liquid in a bowl of water. Wring the cloth out well as excess water will exacerbate the issue. Leave to air dry / use a heater / dehumidifier. Always wear protective gloves, clothing, and a face mask to reduce the impact of spreading the issue and health side effects.
On 27 November 2024, North Edinburgh Parents Action Group met Edinburgh Council’s Senior Housing Staff including the chair of the housing committee for the second time.
Cases shared with the director of housing
As a result of the group’s work e.g. producing a report, launching an exhibition and organising meetings with senior housing staff, the director of housing requested that the details of all people involved in this project be sent to him so that they could try to resolve all these issues and learn from this. The group felt that the managers listened to the issues and are trying to understand what is going wrong.
Change is possible
22 cases were sent to the director of housing and his team in October and November. There have been some successes;
some people have been rehoused
some work on repairs and some dampness issues have been addressed
families have been provided with support.
More needs done
There is still much more work to be done and the group are waiting on a detailed update from the director of housing regarding all the outstanding work. This should be completed by the next meeting with the parents at the end of February.
Suspension of EdIndex
The group are concerned about the suspension of EdIndex and non-urgent repairs and feel this is going to make the situation even worse. The group are also concerned that there are not enough larger houses being built at the waterfront and not enough houses for social rent. Many of these new houses will be out of local people’s reach.
The group heard that no council properties are going to be advertised until 7 Jan 2024 or later. This is due to the council putting homeless families in unlicensed (illegal) accommodation. The council need to move these families into long term empty houses (voids) with minimum work done to them apart from minimum Health and Safety checks.
Use Tourist Tax (Visitor Levy) to invest in Housing
The group believe that the tourist tax should be spent on housing where it is most needed (the consultation on the tourist tax ends on 13 December).
Th group told the senior managers that they plan to:
raise this issue with the Minister for Housing at the Scottish Parliament
explore group legal action as a last resort
invite senior managers and the chair of housing to a third meeting at the end of February 2025
Sara, a group member said: “We are serious about keeping up the pressure on the council to ensure people have a safe, warm, damp free home to live in.
Some options that the group are considering include going to the media to highlight people’s stories, taking the campaign to the Scottish Parliament, and contacting a law firm about the possibility of a group action.”
Greater flexibility to keep pets in homes amongst range of Housing Bill measures
New legislation will introduce a range of measures to improve renting in Scotland, including strengthening tenants’ rights to keep a pet.
Measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill will allow a renter to make a request to keep a pet in their home and for that to not be unreasonably refused by their landlord. Currently, it is entirely up to the landlord whether a tenant can keep a pet, and they must be given written permission to do so.
Other provisions aimed at providing a good quality, and affordable rental market also include a system of long-term rent controls, with the Scottish Government working with tenants, landlords, investors and developers to bring forward a system that works for tenants and supports investment in private rented housing.
Housing Minister Paul McLennan said: “Pets are an important part of the family for many people across Scotland. Tenants have the right to feel at home in rented accommodation and having more control over keeping a pet can play a big part in that and can have additional benefits for their mental health and wellbeing.
“This is just one of a range of measures in the Housing (Scotland) Bill, including long-term rent controls, which will help improve the lives of renters and create an affordable, high-quality, and fair private rented sector.
“The Bill also meets the Scottish Government’s ambition to improve the renting experience in Scotland, whilst also encouraging landlords to invest.
“We will continue to work to create a system that strengthens renters’ rights and supports continued investment in the rental market.”
Gilly Mendes Ferreira, Director of Innovation and Strategic Relations for the Scottish SPCA said: “We welcome the provisions included within the Housing (Scotland) Bill, particularly the safeguarding of the rights of tenants to keep pets and hope that these measures will foster a more inclusive and compassionate rental market.
“Our research has found that over 75% of tenants stated they had a pet for emotional (77%) and mental health (83%) support.
“This survey also highlighted that seven out of 10 tenants would risk becoming homeless if they were no longer able to keep their pet in their current accommodation.
“Sadly, we also found that 37% of tenants stated that they have had to make that unimaginable choice between having a pet and having a roof over their head.”
Scottish Government urged to prioritise investment in essential services for older people
HANOVER Scotland’s CEO, Angela Currie, is urging the Scottish Government to allocate part of the new £3.4 billion funding from the UK Budget towards critical investments in social care and housing.
The budget announcement from Chancellor Rachel Reeves marked a significant increase in devolved funds, and Angela emphasises that a strategic portion of this must be directed towards empowering older adults to live safely and independently.
With a rapidly aging population, Angela warns that overlooking these essential services will only exacerbate existing pressures on Scotland’s healthcare and social systems.
Angela said: “Our first priority must be restoring the adaptation budget to its previous levels. This funding is essential for making homes safer and accessible for older adults.
“Secondly is to close the gap in subsidies for new-build social housing, enabling us to construct more affordable homes.
“Lastly, we need robust investment in social care, which is crucial for supporting our aging communities and preventing undue strain on health services.
“Investing wisely in these areas is not just beneficial but essential for a sustainable and compassionate future.”
Angela highlights that this comprehensive approach will have a long-term impact, reducing the costly burden on the NHS and enhancing the quality of life for older adults.
The need for investment is underscored by recent budget cuts that have severely impacted housing adaptation funding. The Scottish Government slashed this budget by 25%, from £11 million to £8.245 million, leaving housing associations like Hanover Scotland in a difficult position.
This reduction means older and disabled residents risk being trapped in unsafe homes or hospital beds, contributing to bed-blocking and intensifying pressure on healthcare services.
Angela said: “The modest investment required to make homes safe pales in comparison to the enormous cost of hospital stays and long-term care.
“Without adequate funding, we risk further overwhelming our health and social care systems.
“Our mission is to empower older adults to live with dignity and independence, but the current funding situation is making that increasingly difficult.
“We are calling on the Scottish Government to act now and prioritise social care and housing. This isn’t just about housing; it’s about health, safety, and the wellbeing of our communities.”
Hanover Scotland, which manages more than 4,500 homes, has been a trusted provider of housing for older adults since 1979. The organisation has been at the forefront of innovation, from pioneering sheltered accommodation to participating in urban renewal projects that promote independent living.
Edinburgh Council’s Senior Housing Staff meet North Edinburgh Parents Action Group at Royston Wardieburn Community Centre
Last Wednesday (27th September), North Edinburgh Parents Action Group met with senior members of the Council’s housing management team and the Chair of the Housing Committee to discuss the issues raised in their report ‘SOS North Edinburgh’s Housing Emergency’ .
The group used the meeting to highlight many of the housing problems which sadly are common in most areas of North Edinburgh including mould and dampness, overcrowding, anti-social behaviour and an unacceptable repairs service.
Shocking
Group members shared their own personal stories about how these issues were impacting on their familiies’ physical and mental health. The housing staff and the chair of the Housing Committee were visibly shocked at some of the stories shared by members.
The senior housing staff gave a commitment to work with the parents group to address these issues as a matter of urgency. They also agreed to work closely with local families who have been involved in the project to try to resolve their ongoing housing problems and will use this process to identify what needs to change.
Susan Rowand, Chairperson of the Parents Group, said: “People have been waiting so long to get their housing issues fixed, many of them can’t wait any longer. We really hope that things begin to happen soon.
“A follow up meeting has been planned for the end of November to update the group on progress made.”
A group member added: ” I feel pain and anger at what my family have been through, maybe something will happen now – I don’t know.”
Next Steps
After the October break, group members will meet with Dr Olivia Swann, Clinical Lecturer in Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Edinburgh University.
Dr Swann worked with the parents group earlier this year on their publication and told group members that “strong scientific evidence has shown that poor housing can affect someone’s physical and mental health throughout their life.”
This is a very worrying concern for group members and highlights the need to address the area’s housing emergency now.
This includes 96 homes for social rent by Harbour Homes and 130 properties for mid market rent by Harbour Lettings. The remaining 80 properties are social rent homes provided by Cairn Housing Association.
A seven-bedroom independent living home and office space with an adjoining one-bedroom flat has also been opened by Dean and Cauvin Young People’s Trust to support people in the care system.
Dean and Cauvin provide accommodation for young people (from ages 15-21) as well as supporting their transition to living independently.
Following an event for new tenants to meet each other and find out more about what’s happening in the community, Heather Kiteley, Chief Executive of Harbour Homes, said: “Everyone at Harbour is very proud of the many years of hard work and dedication which has gone into creating these fantastic new homes.
“With brilliant communal gardens and courtyards, breath-taking views over the Firth of Forth and great public transport links to the city, I know our tenants will be happy in their new homes and will play a part in the new communities which are flourishing along Granton’s waterfront.
“It was a joy to work with Cairn and other partners to make this ambitious project a reality.”
Audrey Simpson, Cairn’s Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have partnered with Harbour Homes and other key stakeholders to bring much-needed affordable housing to Granton.
“These new homes are a testament to what can be achieved when organisations work together with a shared vision. Thanks to Harbour Homes and to everyone involved for their dedication and hard work. We are confident that our new tenants will thrive in this vibrant community.”
Councillor Jane Meagher, Edinburgh’s Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said: “Edinburgh’s council housing stock was devastated by the Right to Buy policy meaning only 14% of homes in our city today are social housing, compared to a Scottish average of 23%.
“We desperately need to work on reversing this trend as we work with developers and social landlords to tackle our city’s Housing Emergency.
“At Granton Harbour, there has been an impressive effort to create over 300 new affordable homes in total, almost 60% of which will be for social rent. Hundreds of people are now moving into good quality and genuinely affordable housing as a result, which is well worth celebrating”
Hundreds of homes in Edinburgh are undergoing major energy upgrades – helping to tackle fuel poverty and carbon emissions in some of the city’s most deprived areas.
Edinburgh’s ambitious multi-million-pound retrofitting roll-out and mixed tenure improvements will make council homes ‘net zero ready’ in the coming years, with measures such as external wall insulation and solar panels being installed to improve living standards in many low-rise buildings and multi-storey blocks.
Marking the Council’s latest set of insulation upgrades, the Housing, Homeless and Fair Work Convener Jane Meagher visited tenants in the North of the city to see how their homes have been transformed.
Along Crewe Road North and Crewe Road Gardens, at least £2.23 million has been invested this year towards making 90 homes in mixed tenure buildings warmer and cheaper to heat. The vast majority of these (70) are Council homes.
Funded by a mix of EES/ABS grants, owner contributions and Council funding, properties in the area have benefited from external wall insulation and in many cases replacement roofing, with all works delivered by Insulated Render Systems (IRS) in partnership with the Council, Changeworks and Home Energy Scotland.
Councillor Jane Meagher, Housing, Homelessness and Fair Work Convener, said:“It’s hard to describe the huge difference these measures will make: to the fabric and warmth of these homes, to people’s fuel bills and to the environment, and of course to the lives of everyone who lives in them now and in the future.
“By bringing these older homes up to a newer energy efficiency standard, we’re not only driving down carbon emissions, we’re clamping down on issues like damp and fuel poverty. It’s complex work but it’s vital because it prioritises our tenants and their living standards.
“It has been a pleasure to meet with some of the residents and to hear their feedback and I’m pleased to see the real difference the building work is making. The works taking place along Crewe Road are an indication of more upgrades to come. Just think what we could achieve if we were to receive the funding we need to roll this programme out even further, to improve even more of our tenants’ homes?
“I’m grateful to the partners involved in supporting this roll-out and to our tenants, whose rents help towards paying for improvements to council homes alongside grant funding. Edinburgh faces a Housing Emergency and we need to tackle it together.”
Josiah Lockhart, Chief Executive of Changeworks, said: “Changeworks has worked in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council on a number of EES ABS projects and it’s great to see the fabric improvements made to properties here on Crewe Road.
“Ongoing high energy costs mean that these energy efficiency projects make a real difference to householders, helping them stay warm and save energy as well as reducing carbon emissions.”
Green measures have also been installed to homes in Gilmerton, where over 180 eligible private home owners and tenants are benefitting from £2.5 million investment over two years towards solar PV panels and battery energy storage, external wall insulation and upgrades to the look of buildings. Future upgrades with Changeworks are also planned for homes in the Liberton area in the year ahead.
Elsewhere in the city, at least £2.2 million has been invested by the Council to transform a block of 36 homes in Oxgangs into a modern looking, sustainable building with upgrades to the roof and coverings, external walls, stairwells, and common landings.
The Council is now looking to undertake a whole house retrofit of the multistorey blocks May and Gunnet and is carrying out design work for blocks in Leith, Mixed tenure improvements also taking place in Lochend, Restalrig and in Wester Hailes.
Today (Tuesday 9 July), the Regulator of Social Housing published regulatory judgements for five social housing landlords in England.
Bristol City Council, Guildford Borough Council, Octavia Housing and Sheffield City Council have each failed to meet RSH’s new consumer standards, which were introduced on 1 April 2024 as part of a series of changes to its role, intended to drive landlords to deliver long-term improvements for tenants.
Cambridge City Council has not met RSH’s rent standard and as a result overcharged around 3,600 tenants.
Following investigations into each landlord, RSH found that:
Bristol City Council could not evidence that it is meeting carbon monoxide safety requirements for over 22,000 homes (out of 26,700 total homes). It also reported 1,900 open damp and mould cases, more than 16,000 overdue repairs and 3,000 overdue fire safety actions. In addition, the council does not have up-to-date data about the condition of tenants’ homes.
Guildford Borough Council has around 1,700 homes without an up-to-date electrical condition report (out of 5,200 total homes), and it could not provide evidence that it has completed around 1,300 fire safety actions. In addition, it has not collected Tenant Satisfaction Measures from tenants, which all social landlords are required to do.
Octavia Housing currently has 1,200 overdue fire safety remedial actions across its 5,000 homes. It was unable to provide evidence that it is meeting other health and safety requirements and it does not hold complete and accurate records for safety inspections.
Sheffield City Council had around 10,000 outstanding repairs across its 38,500 homes and, between January and April 2024, more than 90% of disrepair cases were outstanding for extended periods. RSH also found evidence that the council does not have an accurate record of the condition of tenants’ homes.
Cambridge City Council has previously overcharged around 3,600 tenants (half the total number) as a result of rent-setting errors over a prolonged period. The overcharge is estimated to be around £3.2 million.
All of the landlords are working to address these issues and put things right for their tenants, and RSH is working with the landlords proactively as they do this.
Bristol City Council, Guildford Borough Council, Octavia Housing and Sheffield City Council have each been given a C3 grading by RSH, which means there are serious failings and they need to make significant improvements. This is the first time RSH has published consumer gradings for social landlords, following the changes to its role in April 2024. RSH does not give gradings in relation to the rent standard.
Kate Dodsworth, Chief of Regulatory Engagement at RSH, said: “Landlords must provide safe and decent homes for tenants, have an effective complaints process, and put things right when there are problems. The judgements we published today show that each of these landlords have issues which they need to address promptly.
“All landlords need to make sure they deliver the outcomes in our standards and inform us when there are material issues. Our new approach to regulation, which started in April, gives us new tools to scrutinise landlords’ performance and, where there are issues, drive them to deliver long-term improvements for the benefit of tenants.”
The judgements are a result of RSH’s responsive engagement. This is where RSH investigates information that is referred by landlords, tenants and other stakeholders.
Separately, RSH is also carrying out planned inspections of all large social landlords (those with over 1,000 homes) over a four-year cycle. RSH expects to publish the outcomes of the first inspections later in summer 2024.
Efforts to boost affordable housing supply by acquiring properties to bring into use for affordable housing and help reduce homelessness will be given an £80 million uplift over the next two years.
The funding, announced by First Minister Humza Yousaf on a visit to Hillcrest Housing Association’s Derby Street development in Dundee, will increase the Affordable Housing Supply Programme budget to nearly £600 million in 2024-2025.
Investment will help reduce the time spent in temporary accommodation, including by children, and will also accelerate discussions with COSLA in relation to the number of local authority void properties.
The First Minister, who faces a vote of confidence at Holyrood next week, said: “Housing is essential in our efforts to tackle child poverty and reduce inequality across Scotland, and it supports jobs and growth in the economy. Providing good quality, affordable housing is at the very core of what my Government is doing to make Scotland a better place.
“While there is a single person homeless in our country, it is simply not acceptable to have houses sitting empty – so I am determined that we remove the barriers, and provide the money that will enable councils to buy properties so they can become affordable homes again.
“This £80 million will build on the success of our National Acquisition Programme which I announced last year, which spent more than £60 million and delivered more than 1,000 affordable homes. This is one of a number of actions we are prioritising to help to reduce the number of households in temporary accommodation.
“We will also accelerate discussion with COSLA in relation to the number of empty council homes.”
