This document, mandated by the Scottish Housing Regulator, underscores the council’s commitment to its tenants, pinpointing areas needing enhancement.

While the council has successfully met nearly all regulatory demands, there were minor lapses in compliance during 2022/23. Infractions included slight delays in gas safety checks for three properties, attributed to pandemic-related issues and contractor miscommunication, representing a minuscule 0.04% of total inspections.

New regulations also saw the council falling short in conducting Electrical Inspection Certificate Reports for 159 properties and smoke detection upgrades in nine residences, due to industry-wide labour shortages and tenant reluctance for property access.

Despite these challenges, the council confirms compliance with the Scottish Social Housing Charter standards, legal housing obligations, and tenants’ equality and human rights. 

Committee convener, councillor Tom McEwan, said: “The Council’s Housing Service continues to deliver very high levels of service, with strong performance across all areas despite the ongoing challenges caused by Covid and the cost-of-living crisis.

“In many areas we are exceeding the standards required by the SHR. This has been achieved in the context of maintaining our rents at affordable levels, demonstrating our commitment to delivering a value for money service for our tenants.

“To ensure continuous improvement, we have an Action Plan in place to build on progress, take forward improvement actions and ensure compliance with the Regulatory Framework.

“As a sign of our commitment to ensuring that tenant and resident safety remains a key priority for the service we have established a Housing Compliance Team to ensure key areas such as gas, electrical, water, fire and asbestos safety are closely monitored, and that checks are in place to provide the reassurance that we are meeting our legal obligations for tenants.”