Renfrewshire Council

Being part of an organised tenants and resident's association will give you a greater voice when talking about local issues with Communities, Housing and Planning Services (CHAPS).

What is a tenants and residents association?

Tenants and residents associations represent individuals living in an area by putting forward views and concerns about their housing, community and local issues to the Council.  Associations are also involved in a wide range of issues from large-scale improvements and matters of policy, to organising social events for their members.

Usually tenants and residents associations are community groups made up of local people acting in a voluntary capacity to promote the interests of tenant's and resident's in their area.

Tenants and Residents associations can:

• provide a collective voice for tenant's and resident's in an area
• act as a focus for consultation and an organisation to lobby for changes
• develop extra services through self-help schemes, such as pensioners lunch clubs, and offer advice to local people and represent individual tenant's or resident's when dealing with authorities.
• most tenant's and resident's associations hold regular (at least quarterly) meetings which are open to all tenants and residents within the area, but conduct their business through a smaller committee.

Find out if your street is represented by a tenants and residents association

To find out if your street is represented by a tenants and residents association please see the attached Register of Tenants Organisation or alternatively contact our development officer for more information.  If your street is not already represented, why not read on to find out how you can set up an association for your area.

Why start a tenant's and resident's association?

There are a lot of reasons for tenant's and resident's to join together to form an association, including but not limited to:

• Discuss issues in local communities that may be affecting local people.
• Create a better sense of community in the area where you live.
• Have a representative voice.
• Provide the means for tenants to communicate with their landlord to influence decision making that affects their homes and wider neighbourhood.
• Give accurate advice and information to tenant's and resident's.
• Campaign on certain issues, such as better children's play facilities or open space maintenance

To ensure members of the public who volunteer to be part of a tenants and residents association are not out-of-pocket, Communities, Housing and Planning Services can provide grant funding for running and administration costs of the association.