Rent
72% of tenants who responded to our recent tenant survey felt that the rent for their property represented good value for money, which is down from 82.5% from 2021. The latest figure is also down on the average for all local authorities which currently stands at 81.9%.
We collected 98.6% of rent due for payment during 2022/23, an increase from 98.1% in 2021/22. This is in line with the local authority average of 98.8%, which has been fairly consistent over recent years.
The percentage of potential rental income lost during the period due to homes being empty as they are repaired for relet was 2.3%, slightly up from 2% the previous year. This is an area where performance is slightly worse than the local authority average of 1.7%, which is also up slightly on the previous year’s figure of 1.6%.
The effects of the COVID-19 negatively impacted on the number of homes requiring
- more significant repairs and investment
- supply of materials
- utility meters / supplier issues.
This has led to homes remaining empty for longer and impacted on the rent loss due to homes being empty.
How we are improving
Rent collection for all local authorities in Scotland continues to be affected by the financial impact of the pandemic on households, and periods where there were restrictions on court action that can often be the stage when tenants come forward to get the help that is available.
Our rent service was maintained throughout lockdown, and we’ve been continuing to make improvements to make it easier for tenants to pay their rent. Support and advice are available to help tenants manage their rent payments and tenants are encouraged to contact their local housing officer who will be able to help provide information on support and financial help that may be available. A new tenant hardship fund has been established to provide support to tenants experiencing financial hardship, including those who cannot access benefits.
We have also introduced RentSense, an analytics tool to assist with rent collection. This has had a positive impact on improving rent arrears, which have reduced by £165,282 from October 2022 to end March 2023. Review meetings are ongoing and a plan has been developed to achieve further reductions by the end of 2023/24.