11. Repairing and Improving Occupied Private Housing
11.1 Council improvement and repair grants
11.1.1 Improvement grants
Improvement grants are mainly discretionary awards for works to improve the condition of houses and to bring them back into residential use.
A mandatory grant is available if your house is below the tolerable standard (or lacks a fixed bath or shower) and the Council has served an improvement order.
Discretionary grants at rates up to 75% are also available to make a house suitable for a disabled occupant's accommodation, welfare or employment, for example, to provide a downstairs bedroom in a purpose built extension, make access easier or make adaptations to the kitchen. Mandatory grants at a rate of 50% are also available to provide standard amenities to meet the disabled applicant's particular needs.
The current grant limit is a maximum of £12,600. The percentage available to the applicant is up to 75% depending on the type of works and council policies. Applicants will in all cases have to meet a proportion of the cost of the works themselves. For application procedure see 11.1.7.
11.1.2 Repair grants
Repair grants are also mostly discretionary awards. These grants cover items such as repairs to the fabric of the building (roofs, gutters, etc.), the eradication of rot and works to reduce exposure to radon gas and for the replacement of lead plumbing. The grant limit varies and depends on the nature of the works. For most the limit is up to a maximum of £500 with a grant rate of up to 50%. The rate for grants to replace lead plumbing and for works to reduce exposure to radon gas is subject to a test of the applicant's resources and can be available at a rate up to 90%. If the Council consider that a house is in a serious state of disrepair, or is likely to fall into serious disrepair, they can serve a repairs notice on the property requiring the owner to rectify the faults. If the notice is served under section 108 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 a mandatory grant is available.
11.1.3 Enhanced level of grant
In certain exceptional circumstances the Council can apply to the Scottish Executive for permission to increase the grant limit beyond the maximum. The Council can also apply where the costs were enhanced by measures taken to preserve the architectural or historic interest of the house. The percentage rate of grant available to the applicant cannot be increased. For application procedure see 11.1.7.
11.1.4 Improvement Order grants
Where a house is below the tolerable standard the Council can in certain circumstances serve an Improvement Order under Section 88 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987. The rate of improvement grant available in this case is 75% and subject to a test of the applicant's resources it can be increased to 90%.
11.1.5 Standard amenities grants
The Council is obliged to give you a grant to help you install standard amenities if your home lacks them. The standard amenities are a bath or a shower, a WC and a wash hand basin. Check with the Council for the maximum eligible cost. The grant rate in this case is 50%. For application procedure see 11.1.7.
11.1.6 Improvement grants for the conversion of dwellings or other buildings
The Council can also make grants available for the conversion of a dwelling, or dwellings, or other buildings into self-contained dwellings. Grant is available at a rate up to 50% and the grant limit is £12,600.
11.1.7 Application process
The application process may vary slightly amongst individual Councils. The list below is a general guide. Check with the Council for the local situation.
• If the work appears to be grant-eligible then the applicant must write to the Council giving their name, address and a basic description of what improvement works need to be done to the property.
• Officials will then contact the applicant to arrange and make a visit to assess the grant-eligible improvement works required and explain the application process.
• The applicant submits an application form with a set of plans for the work and estimates. Check with the Council for the minimum number of estimates accepted, the title deeds to the property, a building warrant and, in certain circumstances, planning permission. A test of the income of the applicant may also be made.
• Time taken for approval of the grant application can vary, so check with the Council.
• Once approval for the work has been received by the applicant, the work is expected to be completed within 12 months.
• The work in progress is inspected once or twice by staff from the Council. Check with the Council for the local arrangements.
• Grant can be paid in instalments as the works progress with invoices being submitted to the Council for payment. The final payment will be due after the Council has satisfied itself that the planned works have been properly completed. Check with the Council for the local arrangements.
