Private Sector Strategy

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 received royal assent in January 2006. The Act is wide-ranging and brings about important changes to how local authorities can assist in improving the quality of private sector housing in their areas.

The main purpose of the Act is to address problems of condition and quality in private sector housing through encouragement, and if necessary, enforcement. The underlying principles are that:

owners have primary responsibility for maintaining their houses, with assistance available where necessary;
landlords should provide houses that are suitable and in good condition;
local authorities should have flexibility to allow for local solutions; and
local authorities should adopt a strategic approach.

Scheme of Assistance

The Scheme of Assistance, introduced by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006, represents the change in the way the Council will help homeowners meet the challenge of improving the quality and management of housing in the private market in the 21st century.

It reflects the fact that ultimately owners are responsible for maintaining and repairing their properties, and recognises that public money should only support owners' repairs and maintenance where it is strictly necessary or where no other alternative exists.

Where a disabled person's home no longer meets their needs, mandatory grant provision may be available. This will depend on the type of work required to make the persons home suitable for their needs and on whether their needs are deemed eligible for support. This is determined following an assessment of the person's needs by an assessing officer from the Occupational Health Service.

The Statement of Assistance is the document that explains East Renfrewshire Council’s Scheme of Assistance. It sets out the circumstances in which the Council will offer particular types of information, advice, practical support and financial support to home owners.

It covers two areas:

Help for people whose houses do not suit their needs due to a disability;
Help with the repair and maintenance of private homes.

It also contains useful contact details of other organisations that may be able to help with adaptations, repairs and improvements to private housing.

The Statement of Assistance can be downloaded below.