Repairs in council or housing association homes
Your home must meet a set of standards so that it’s safe and secure for you to live in.
These standards are called:
- the tolerable standard
- the Scottish Housing Quality Standard
The council or housing association is responsible for meeting these standards.
Standards for council or housing association homes
The following list summarises the main requirements.
The building and exterior
The property must:
- be structurally stable
- be well insulated
- have no signs of rising damp
- have no substantive penetrating damp
- have a proper entrance and enough access to outside doors
- have enough ventilation, light, heating and insulation
- have any walls and roof in reasonable condition
All walls, windows, doors, internal floors, stairs and the roof must be in a good state of repair.
There must be secure locks for any entrances to your home.
The windows must have external noise insulation. This can be double or triple glazing if needed.
Water and sewerage systems
The property must have a working:
- water supply that’s safe to use
- toilet
- drainage and sewerage system
There must be a sink, a bath or shower and a wash basin. These must be in good condition, including fittings. They all must have a supply of hot and cold water that is in good condition.
All pipes supplying hot and cold water within the property must be lead free.
Food and cooking
The kitchen must be in good condition and must have:
- a safe working layout
- cooking facilities or somewhere you can install your own
- cabinets and worktops in good condition
- at least 6 electrical sockets
- adequate storage for food
Power, heating and fittings
The property must have:
- an electrical system that’s safe to use, for example sockets and light fittings
- a full central heating system that’s energy efficient
- mechanical ventilation in the bathroom and kitchen, if there’s more than 5% damp in either room
Fire safety
The property must have:
- interlinked smoke alarms in the living room and every hallway and landing
- a heat alarm in the kitchen
- a carbon monoxide detector in all spaces where there is a carbon fuelled appliance, such as a heater or boiler
If you’re deaf or hard of hearing, the council or housing association must also install specialist smoke and fire alarms.
Get detailed guidance on fire and smoke alarm standards on gov.scot.
Energy efficiency
Your home must meet:
- Energy Performance Certificate band C, if you live in a gas or electric heated home
- Energy Performance Certificate band D, if you live in an oil heated home
Communal areas
You must be able to access and use any communal areas safely.
There must be safe paths and paving outside. The bin store must be safe to use.
The following must all be in a good state of repair:
- decks or galleries
- communal stairs and landings
- communal windows and roof lights
- any public lighting
Any of the following must be safe and secure:
- front door entry system
- front and rear access doors
- lobbies, halls and passages
- refuse chutes and chambers
- lift car
Reporting repairs to the council or housing association
You must report repairs needing done to the council or housing association.
They can send someone to inspect the property before repairs are done.
The council or housing association must pay for repair work, unless you specifically caused the damage.
Most repair work should be completed in a reasonable amount of time, unless it’s under the ‘right to repair’ scheme.
Right to repair in council or housing association homes
The right to repair scheme means that some small, urgent repairs must be fixed within a certain number of days.
Only some repairs qualify. This includes:
- no water, heating, gas or electricity
- blockages, leaks or flooding
- some safety issues, including loose power sockets or unsafe flooring
When you report a repair needing done, you can check with the council or housing association if it qualifies for the right to repair scheme.
If it does qualify, the council or housing association should tell you:
- when they must do the repair work by
- how the scheme works
- what will happen next
You can get more detailed guidance on the right to repair scheme on gov.scot.
If repairs are not done or not completed
You should report this to the council or housing association so they can put it right.
If this does not work, you can make a complaint.