Welcome to our Private Sector What's New page which:
- highlights recent and forthcoming changes within the sector
- highlights services we provide
- promotes promoting good practice
This page will be updated to reflect future developments/changes. If you have any suggestions on how to improve this please contact us by email at privatesector.housing@falkirk.gov.uk or by telephone on 01324 590797.
NEW Landlord and Letting Agent Virtual Forum: Wednesday 21 June 2023
Our 2023 Landlord and Letting Agent Forum will take place on Wednesday 21 June 2023. Please see Landlord and Letting Agents Forum for further information.
NEW Need a hand keeping warm?
Home Energy Scotland are running a Need a hand keeping warm campaign to raise awareness that advice and financial support is available to help people save on energy costs, stay warm and heat their homes more efficiently.
For more information visit the Home Energy Scotland website or view the video below.
Scheme of Assistance Survey (closes 28 February 2023)
Have your say and help us understand what you consider important in relation to private sector disabled adaptations, as well as the assistance offered to maintain and repair your home.
Our Scheme of Assistance Survey is available until 28 February 2023 and is aimed at owner occupiers, private tenants and landlords living and operating in the Falkirk Council area.
Your feedback will:
- help us review our Scheme of Assistance
- help us develop our 2023-2028 Local Housing Strategy. This is the main strategic document for housing in Falkirk. It sets out our priorities and plans for delivery of housing and housing-related services
Renting Matters in Falkirk (eNewsletter) May 2022
The first edition of our Landlords and Letting Agents Newsletter Renting Matters in Falkirk is now available.
Market Evidence: collection of rental information
Rent Service Scotland collects rental information from a wide variety of sources contributing to a data set which is used to produce statistics for the Office for National Statistics (ONS). The information is also used to set levels of Local Housing Allowance, Universal Credit, valuations for Housing Benefit, registered rents, rent adjudications and Rent Pressure Zones.
Rent Service Scotland
If you can share rental information, please download the Market Evidence Form attached and return to us. The information will be held securely in the Rent Service Scotland database and held in line with the current retention policies. Contact details are:
Email: rss.dundee@gov.scot
Rent Service Scotland
2nd Floor Endeavour House
1 Greenmarket
Dundee
DD1 4QB
Telephone: 0300 244 7000 (Answer machine only)
New Fire Safety Standard
The Fire safety standard in Scotland has changed. Every home in Scotland must now meet the "Tolerable Standard", by having interlinked smoke and heat detectors. Carbon monoxide detectors will also be required if you have carbon-fuelled appliances in the property.
Information on the new standard is detailed in the Scottish Government Fire and smoke alarms: changes to the law factsheet. Please see the Scottish Government Fire Alarms Standards Stakeholder Page for materials available in audio, BSL, Large Print and Easy read formats.
All homeowners are responsible for ensuring that their property meets this requirement.
We have prepared links to sites that can help you find a contractor to supply and install the alarms required to meet the standard:
If you do not have access to the internet, please contact us on 01324 590797 (option 2) and we will access and share this information with you.
Falkirk Council has now launched a scheme to help qualifying homeowners meet this Fire Safety Standard. The Scheme will be in line with the Scottish Government qualifying criteria:
- Council tax band A-C, AND
- be of state pension age and in receipt of guaranteed Pension Credit, or
- have a disability and be in a support group for Employment and Support Allowance
If you have not installed heat and smoke detection to meet this standard, you meet the above criteria and would like to be considered for assistance (resources permitting), please email us at: Smoke.HeatDetection@falkirk.gov.uk or call us on 01324 590797 (option 2) and leave your details.
Falkirk Council does not intend on taking action against households who do not meet the criteria at present. Our aim is to work towards compliance by the end of the financial year 2022/23.
Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Private Sector Landlord Registration helps you access:
- up to date private rented sector information
- changes to the sector affected by COVID-19
- further information
If your tenant is having difficulty paying their rent, you can find out how they can apply for Universal Credit. You can also use this link if you wish to apply for a Managed Payment or Direct Rent Payment service to request payment of rent from a tenant’s Universal Credit.
Private Sector Leasing Scheme
Our updated Private Sector Leasing Scheme is open and is accepting applications
Under One Roof - Webinar Programme
Under One Roof have hosted a series of webinars for landlords / letting agents to give interactive, free and independent information to help address a range of issues affecting tenements in Scotland. You can access recordings of past webinars from Under One Roof.
Deposit Guarantee Scheme
Our Deposit Guarantee Scheme is currently closed to new applications and is under review. We will update our webpage once our review is complete.
Energy Efficiency
The Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2020 due to come into force on 01 April 2020, have been postponed indefinitely due to the Coronavirus (COVID-19 crisis). These regulations had previously required all properties in Scotland’s private rented sector to have a minimum EPC rating of E at the start of tenancy from 01 October 2020.
Scheme of Assistance
Our Scheme of Assistance outlines who can access assistance and what assistance is available to maintain, repair and adapt your home. We are undertaking a review of property conditions – this does not impact on the assistance currently available.
Care and Repair
Care and Repair aims to give help and support homeowners and private tenants to adapt, maintain, repair or improve their homes. It is available to people of any age who have a disability or people aged 60 or over.
During 2020/21 Care and Repair completed 29 adaptations and are currently supporting a further 57 clients through the adaptation process.
One of our Care and Repair clients has told us how this service has helped her:
"Having the stair lift installed has changed my life. It allows me to do things that I couldn’t do before. I would have been stuck upstairs for the rest of my life or until we sold the house. It has also made a big difference to my carer. He no longer spends his days coming up and down the stairs all day making sure I am OK or getting me things when I need them. He has also been able to go back to work which he simply wouldn’t have been able to do before. This has made me as independent as it is possible for me to be."
Factoring
The Code of Conduct for Property Factors sets out minimum standards of practice for registered property factors. A revised Code of Conduct, approved by the Scottish Parliament came into effect on 16 August 2021. Please see our Factoring page for further information.
Housing to 2040
In March 2021, the Scottish Government published its first long-term national housing strategy: Housing to 2040. This strategy sets out a vision for housing in Scotland and a route map to get there.
Contact us
Private Sector Team
The Forum
Callendar Business Park
Falkirk
FK1 1XR
Tel: 01324 590797
Email: privatesector.housing@falkirk.gov.uk