Housing

Prepare Housing Needs and Demand assessment

Councils are responsible for assessing the condition of existing housing and identifying the need for additional homes to ensure that the local housing supply is suitable for the local population.

Maintain a social housing list

Councils must enable anyone aged 16 or over to apply for social housing and maintain a housing list that is managed fairly and transparently.

Prepare a Local Housing Strategy

Councils are required to develop a Local Housing Strategy (LHS) that sets out their vision and plans for housing and related services over a five-year period.

Acquire and dispose of land for housing purposes

Councils can buy and sell land to support housing development.

Inspect and enforce compliance with the tolerable standard

Councils are responsible for inspecting homes to ensure they meet the minimum legal standards for safety, comfort, and habitability.

Issue demolition and closing orders for properties below tolerable standard

Councils can take action when a home is in very poor condition and not safe to live in.

Execute works to remedy sub-standard housing conditions

Councils can directly carry out physical improvements or repairs to housing that fails to meet acceptable living standards.

Serve work notices and carry out repairs to housing in serious disrepair

When a property is in serious disrepair—meaning it poses a significant risk to the occupants or the public—the council can issue a formal "work notice" to the owner.

Inspect and address overcrowding in housing

Councils investigate homes suspected of being overcrowded, where too many people are living in a space that is too small or lacks adequate facilities.

License Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs)

Councils are required to license certain Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs), typically those with five or more people from different households sharing facilities.

Regulate Houses of Multiple Occupancy (HMOs) and address overcrowding

Councils are responsible for making sure shared homes—called Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs)—are safe and suitable to live in.

Provide housing financial assistance

Councils can offer loans, grants, or other financial help to homeowners or landlords who need to repair, improve, or adapt their properties.

Provide grants for housing improvement, repair, and conversion

Councils can offer grants or loans to help homeowners and tenants repair, improve, or adapt their homes.

Enforce lighting standards in common property

Councils must ensure that owners of shared spaces in buildings, like common stairs and hallways, provide and maintain adequate lighting.

Offer a stair lighting maintenance service

Councils can offer a stair lighting maintenance service to property owners to help keep common areas safely lit.

Enforce stair lighting installation standards and recover associated costs

Councils can step in to install a suitable lighting system if property owners fail to provide adequate lighting in common areas.

Enter common property to inspect the condition of lighting installations

Council officers can enter common areas of buildings to check the condition of lighting systems.

Pay and recover missing shares for repairs to common property

Councils can step in and help when essential repairs to shared parts of a building—like roofs, stairwells, or external walls—can’t go ahead because one or more owners won’t or can’t pay their share.

Provide accommodation, shops, facilities, and welfare services

Councils can provide, or support access to, essential services such as shops, community facilities, and welfare support to promote wellbeing, inclusion, and a safe living environment.

Assist persons who are homeless or threatened with homelessness

Councils provide support to individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.

Prepare and submit a strategy for preventing and alleviating homelessness

Councils must create and submit a plan outlining how they will prevent homelessness and help those who become homeless.

Provide free advice and information about homelessness and related services

Councils must make sure that anyone in the area can get free advice and information about homelessness, how to prevent it, and what help is available.

Inquire into homelessness status upon receipt of a homeless application

When someone applies to the council for help because they are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the council must look into their situation.

Provide interim accommodation while homelessness application is assessed or reviewed

If someone applies to the council for help because they are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the council must offer them a safe place to stay while their application is being looked into.

Provide written decisions and inform applicants of review rights following a homelessness application

When someone applies to the council for help because they are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the council must give them a written decision explaining the outcome of their application.

Secure permanent accommodation for unintentionally homeless people

If someone becomes unintentionally homeless the council must offer them a permanent home.

Provide advice, assistance, and temporary accommodation after refusal of reasonable offer

If someone who is homeless refuses a reasonable offer of permanent housing, the council may no longer be required to provide long-term accommodation.

Provide advice, assistance, and temporary accommodation to intentionally homeless persons

If the council decides that someone is homeless but became homeless intentionally—for example, by choosing to leave suitable housing or not paying rent—they still have a right to help.

Secure permanent accommodation through a private sector tenancy

If someone is deemed to be unintentionally homeless, the council must help them find a permanent place to live.

Prevent homelessness by securing accommodation and providing advice and assistance

Councils must take steps to stop people from becoming homeless in the first place. This means offering advice and support to help people stay in their current home or find a new one before they lose their housing.

Conduct reviews and provide written decisions on homelessness

If someone disagrees with a decision made by the council about their homelessness application, they have the legal right to ask for a review within 21 days.

Cooperate with other local authorities and statutory bodies on homelessness

Councils must work with other councils and public bodies—such as the NHS, social services, and housing organisations—to tackle homelessness.

Assess housing support needs

When someone applies to the council for help because they are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, the council must look at whether they need extra support to manage a home.

Protect moveable property

If someone is homeless or at risk of becoming homeless, and they can’t protect their belongings—like furniture, clothes, or kitchen items—the council may step in to help.

Apply for designation of a rent pressure zone (RPZ)

Councils can apply to Scottish Ministers to designate all or part of their area as a 'rent pressure zone'.

Register private landlords

Councils are responsible for maintaining a public register of private landlords.

Assess landlord fitness and properness on registration

When someone applies to be a registered landlord in Scotland, the local council checks if they are suitable to rent out homes.

Remove unfit landlords from the register

If a landlord is found to be unsuitable—known as not being a “fit and proper person”—the council can remove them from the official register of private landlords.

License of short term lets

Councils are responsible for processing applications from individuals who wish to rent out properties for short stays and ensuring that those properties meet required safety and management standards.

Provide a Scheme of Assistance for private sector housing

Councils must offer a Scheme of Assistance to help homeowners and private landlords maintain, repair, improve, or adapt their properties.

Provide local authority landlord services

Councils provide landlord services by managing social housing for people in need, including those who are homeless, on low incomes, or require supported accommodation.

Serve rent repayment notices for unregistered landlords

Councils can take enforcement action against landlords who rent out properties without being properly registered.

Deliver affordable housing supply

Councils are responsible for helping to meet local housing needs by delivering affordable homes.

Provide, manage, or develop housing outside of the area

Councils can sometimes help with housing outside their own area.

Monitor and report on housing performance

Councils must regularly check how well they are delivering housing services and report the results to the Scottish Housing Regulator.

Make byelaws for council housing

Councils can make housing byelaws, which are local rules that apply within their area.

Manage housing lists

Councils are responsible for keeping and managing housing lists, which are used to decide who gets access to social housing.

Set minimum application periods for housing

Councils must make sure that people applying for housing have a fair chance to do so.

Manage transfers and allocations of housing

Councils are responsible for deciding who gets access to social housing and how homes are allocated.

Acquire land for housing

Councils can buy land to build new homes or improve housing in their area.

Recover charges for accommodation provided by the council

Councils can recover charges for accommodation they provide, such as temporary housing or supported living.

Register as a property factor

Councils that act as property factors—managing common parts of land or buildings on behalf of owners—must register with the Scottish Government’s Property Factor Register.

Enforce housing standards related to environmental health

Councils are responsible for making sure that homes - especially in the private sector - are safe and healthy to live in.

Provide or arrange home care where it is required due to assessed need

Councils have a responsibility to ensure that people who need help at home receive the right support.

Provide assistance with adaptations and equipment

Councils must ensure that people who need help to live safely and independently at home can access necessary equipment and adaptations.

Assess community care needs

Councils must assess community care needs when an adult might need support to live safely and well in the community.

Prevent needs for care and support

Councils must take steps to prevent needs for care and support. This means taking action early to stop or reduce problems before they become serious enough to require formal care.

Provide emergency assistance in cash or kind

Councils can provide emergency assistance in cash or kind to people facing urgent need.

Promote independent living

Councils must help people live as independently as possible, especially if they need care or support.

Make arrangements with voluntary organisations

Councils can work with voluntary organisations - like charities, community groups, and non-profits - to help deliver care and support services.

Provide throughcare

Councils must support individuals before and after release from prison.

Create an anti-social behaviour strategy

Councils are required to work with Police Scotland and other partners to develop a clear plan for tackling anti-social behaviour in their area.

Contribute to meeting fuel poverty targets

Councils should help reduce fuel poverty in their area in line with Scotland’s national targets.

Provide and maintain lighting in common property

Owners of common property - such as shared stairs, passages, or private courts - have a statutory duty to provide and maintain adequate lighting in those areas.

Establish an energy efficiency discount scheme

Councils may establish an energy efficiency discount scheme to reduce Council Tax bills for homes that are more energy efficient.