Service request

You can download or order a printed calendar showing your bin collection days if you need one.

Here are the fastest ways to find out your bin collections days.

Enter your postcode using our online bin collection day checker. You'll be able to:

• see your next bin collection days
• download a PDF bin collection calendar and print it yourself – if you have access to a printer
• download a digital calendar – if you use a calendar app such as Outlook or Google Calendar.

Check your bin collection days online

You can also subscribe to bin collection email reminders. We’ll send you an email reminder the day before each of your bin collection days.

Subscribe to bin collection email reminders

If you've tried the options above and would still like to order a printed calendar, you can order one online.

Once we've processed your order, we’ll send your calendar to you in the post. If we get lots of orders at once, it may take a while for your calendar to arrive.

Order a printed bin calendar

If you are a Renfrewshire resident, you can recycle and dispose of a range of household waste materials at our recycling centres.

Unlike our other recycling centres, Linwood household waste recycling centre allows larger vehicles, such as vans, pickups and trailers. However, you'll need to apply for a permit if you plan to visit with one of these vehicles.

You do not need a permit if you are bringing a car to any of our recycling centres.

Our recycling centres are for household waste only. You cannot bring any waste that comes from a commercial or business activity. See more information on commercial waste services.

Which vehicles can get a permit

You can get a permit to enter Linwood household waste recycling centre for these types of vehicles:

• vans weighing up to 3.5 tonnes with a maximum of four wheels
• pickups
• a car, van or pickup with single axle trailer less than 1.8m long x 1.2m wide
• mini buses with 8 to 11 seats.

Which vehicles cannot get a permit

You cannot get a vehicle permit to enter Linwood household waste recycling centre for the types of vehicles:

• vehicles with more than four wheels
• vehicles weighing over 3.5 tonnes
• vehicles with a trailer more than 1.8m long x 1.2m wide
• vehicles with twin axle trailers
• vehicles with any commercial waste
• tipper vehicles.

Apply online for a vehicle permit

The permit must be in the name and address of the driver of the vehicle.

If you're acting on behalf of a friend or relative and they cannot come to the recycling centre with you, you should apply for a permit in your name.

We'll email you a permit confirmation once you've completed the online form.

Permits are valid for 1 day only and for a maximum of 3 visits on that day. You'll need to apply for a new permit if you're visiting on a different day.

If you're paying someone to take your rubbish away, it becomes commercial waste. They'll need to pay to have the waste disposed of through a licenced waste contractor. They cannot bring your waste to the household waste recycling centre.

When you arrive at Linwood household waste recycling centre you'll need to provide:

• a paper or electronic copy of your permit
• proof that you're a Renfrewshire resident, such as a council tax or utility bill
• photo identification, such as your driving licence.

If you do not have these, you won't be able to enter the recycling centre.

See what items you can and cannot bring to our household waste recycling centres.

Our advisers will find out about your situation and offer advice. They can:

• help you understand your fuel bills and meter readings
• act on your behalf when dealing with energy companies
• help you get the best out of your heating system
• recommend energy-saving measures
• help if you're in or at risk of fuel poverty, including signposting you to other services available to you (fuel poverty is when you spend more than 10% of your income on heating your home)
• advise you on cheaper deals for electricity and gas
• help you switch energy providers and payment methods
• help you monitor your energy usage efficiently, which can help you to avoid accumulating fuel debt
• help you agree payment plans with energy suppliers
• make sure that you're repaying any arrears (debt) at a reasonable rate
• make sure that you have access to any emergency financial assistance available.

Our free energy advice is available to anyone living in Renfrewshire. It does not matter if you own your home or rent.

Before getting in touch, read our top energy-saving tips. They could help you get in control of your bills and energy use.

Behaviour changes

• Close your curtains at dusk.
• When using the kettle, boil only what you need instead of filling it all the way.
• Do not dry your clothes on a radiator. This makes your boiler work harder, which costs more.
• When boiling vegetables, use just enough water to cover them.
• Fill up your washing machine, tumble dryer, and dishwasher all the way. 1 full load uses less energy than 2 half loads.
• Fix any leaking taps and make sure they're fully turned off. A dripping hot water tap wastes enough energy in a week to fill half a bath.
• Cook big batches of food in the oven at once. Freeze what you do not need.
• Wash clothes on a lower temperature setting.
• Take showers instead of baths. Keep your showers to a maximum of 5 minutes.
• Turn electrical appliances off. Do not leave them on standby.
• Turn lights off when you leave a room.
• When cooking, chop meat and vegetables into smaller pieces. This helps them cook quicker.

Insulation and draught proofing

• Use simple draught proofing, such as sausage-dog excluders and draught strips.
• Insulate your water cylinder with an 80mm jacket.
• Insulate your loft with 270mm of loft insulation. This can save £150 per year over 40 years.
• If your walls are suitable, install cavity-wall insulation. This can save £120 per year.

Appliances

• If you're buying a new fridge-freezer, look for a band 'A' model. These are more energy efficient and can save £45 per year.
• Switch to low-energy bulbs. They last up to 10 times longer and cost about 75% less to run.
• Turn down your central-heating thermostat. Turning it down just 1 degree could save you 10% on your fuel bill.
• Make sure your water is not too hot. Your cylinder thermostat should be set to 60°C or 140°F.

Email us at emu@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Phone us on 0300 3000 300 and say you are looking for energy advice.

After you've been in touch and requested energy advice, one of our energy advisers will contact you by email or over the phone. Then, your adviser will begin working with you directly.

'Council housing' are houses and flats owned by the council. They have lower rents and more secure tenancies than many private rentals.

You can apply to rent one of these homes from us.

You can apply for council housing if you're over 16.

Because there's lots of demand for council housing, we offer homes to people based on their level of need. You're more likely to get a council home if you:

• are homeless or could become homeless
• live in a home that's too small for the number of people living there
• have a medical condition made worse by your current home.

Check our housing allocation policy if you want the full details.

If you're homeless or think you might become homeless, read our homelessness help and advice.

Before you apply, make sure you have:

• a copy of your ID, such as a passport, driving licence, or birth certificate
• your email address or phone number.

We'll also ask you for other relevant information, including:

• 3 years of address history
• income details
• the names and birth dates of anyone else in your household.

Apply for council housing online.

If you'd rather apply over the phone with one of our housing assistants, you'll need to book a phone appointment. You can do this by:

• contacting us online
• phoning us on 0300 300 0222.

Let us know if you need information in other formats, including:

• Braille
• large print
• another language
• a signer or interpreter.

You can do this by:

• contacting us online
• phoning us on 0300 300 0222.

We'll aim to contact you within 10 days to discuss your application or other information you might need to provide.

Then, once we've finished reviewing your application, we'll send you a letter telling you your priority grouping. Your application will then be 'live'.

Since demand is high, we offer people homes based on their priority grouping. These are based on housing need. Read our housing allocation policy for more details.

Once your application is live, you can also tell us if you're interested in specific homes that are currently available. You do not have to do this, but these homes may become available sooner. You can do this by checking what homes are currently available to rent.

You'll need to tell us if your circumstances change while you're waiting for council housing. You can do this by:

• contacting us online
• phoning us on 0300 300 0222.

Information you might need to provide

We might ask you to provide additional information alongside your email address and ID, depending on your reason for moving.

• Because your current home is too small or big: a copy of your tenancy agreement, property missives, or other official proof of your property size.
• Because of harassment targeted at you in or around your home: we'll only give priority to you if there's evidence that the harassment is targeted at you or a member of your household while in or around your current accommodation. You must provide written confirmation from a relevant agency, such as the police or your landlord.
• Because of domestic abuse: supporting documents from a social worker, Victim Support, or Women's Aid, or written confirmation from you or your joint applicant confirming that domestic abuse is happening.
• Because of a relationship breakdown: letter from your solicitor or written proof from your partner confirming the relationship breakdown.
• To give or receive support: letter from a relevant agency (such as a social worker, health professional, or proof of DLA, PIP, carers allowance, or attendance allowance) and a letter from both parties explaining why you need to move.
• Due to mobility issues: we'll complete the mobility application with you when we phone you.
• Because you want a home of your own: official proof of address.
• Due to repossession or court order: copy of the repossession or court order confirming that your house will be repossessed or sold and the reasons why.
• Due to receiving Notice to Leave: written proof confirming that your tenancy is not being renewed and that you must leave through no fault of your own, and a copy of the Notice to Leave. Your landlord should give you these if they want you to leave. If you're unsure what these documents are, phone us on 0300 300 0222 for more information.
• Because you need to leave tied accommodation: a letter from your landlord confirming your date to leave and the reasons you must leave. We'll also need a copy of your employment contract.
• If you're leaving residential care, hospital, or supported accommodation: written confirmation from the relevant agency that you'll have nowhere to live when you leave. If you have a date to leave, provide written confirmation of the date.
• If you're currently in prison: written confirmation from the relevant agency that you're currently in prison and will have nowhere to live when you leave. If you have a date to leave, provide written confirmation of the date.
• If you're leaving HM Armed Forces: a letter from HM Armed Forces confirming that you're leaving HM Armed Forces and will have nowhere to live when you leave. If you have a date of discharge, provide written confirmation of the date.
• If you're moving to take up or stay in employment: written evidence to support your circumstances, such as a letter from your employer or prospective employer supporting the application and outlining why you or your joint applicant need to move to keep or take up employment.
• For access to children, joint custody, or shared custody: written confirmation from a solicitor or ex-partner confirming details of overnight access.
• If you'll be adopting or fostering a child: written confirmation from the local authority or agency you've applied to that you're in the final stages of the assessment process and require an additional bedroom to be approved to adopt or foster. We'll only consider applications that are in the final stages of this process and are approved subject to gaining an additional bedroom.
• If your current property is below the tolerable standard: copy of confirmation from Renfrewshire Council's Environment and Infrastructure Services confirming that your property fails to meet the tolerable standard.

Very sheltered housing provides support for older people who are less able to look after themselves.

This type of housing enables residents to live as independently as they can in their own flat, but with staff available to provide support 24 hours a day.

Very sheltered housing is usually made up of a group of flats in a small building complex.

There are currently 5 very sheltered housing complexes in Renfrewshire. Very sheltered housing in the area is provided by Hanover Scotland Housing Association and not by the council.

Each complex has a designated service manager and staff who go between complexes during the day to provide care and support for residents. Residents can also call for support during the day and at night through a technology enabled care alarm system that is installed in their property.

Most properties have a living room, one bedroom, a shower or wet room, and a kitchenette so residents can prepare light meals and snacks.

Many complexes have shared facilities and services such as a lounge, dining area and garden.

Very sheltered housing offers residents similar support to sheltered housing, including:

• emergency response
• alarm system checks
• encouragement and support to take part in social activities
• ensuring all personal information is confidential and is only shared with others you have agreed to
• general assistance, including supporting you to arrange minor repairs, and help to fill in forms or contact other services.

You can receive enhanced housing support through very sheltered housing, including:

• 2 meal services a day
• general counselling and support, including a regular check on your general health and welfare
• advice on the availability of more specialised support and care, if required
• help to meet with professionals and people with an interest in your welfare, such as doctors and relatives
• reminders about appointments
• help with the safety and security of your home, including reminders about locking doors, and advice about fire safety and the safe use of domestic appliances.

If you need help with more personal care support, such as getting out of bed, getting dressed or making food, you can ask for a care assessment through the Adult Services Referral Team (ASeRT) at Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership by phoning 0300 300 1380.

Personal care services can be delivered at a very sheltered housing complex by a registered third-party care at home provider following an assessment of your needs.

Alternatively, you could get a type of housing called extra care housing, where personal care support is included in the service.

Very sheltered housing is available for people aged 60 or over and have a housing support need. It's also available for people aged 55 and over who have a disability.

Priority will be given to those most in need of accommodation and support services, such as those who are unable to live in their existing home or may need long term care.

Hanover Scotland Housing Association currently manage 5 very sheltered housing complexes in Renfrewshire at:

• Ailsa Court, Paisley - Hanover Scotland
• Montgomery Court, Paisley - Hanover Scotland
• Newton Court, Paisley - Hanover Scotland
• Orchard Court, Renfrew - Hanover Scotland
• Walkinshaw Court, Johnstone - Hanover Scotland.

Very sheltered housing services are inspected by the Care Inspectorate Scotland. You can view the latest inspection reports on the Care Inspectorate Scotland website. 

You should visit the complexes managed by Hanover Scotland Housing Association before you apply to help you decide which one is best for you.

Applications for very sheltered housing in Renfrewshire are handled by Hanover Scotland Housing Association.

If you want to apply for very sheltered housing, you'll need to do this through the Hanover Scotland Housing Association application process.

When you make an application with Hanover Scotland Housing Association, they'll ask for a social work assessment to fully understand your needs.

The housing association will then get in touch to let you know your place on the waiting list.

For more information on very sheltered housing in Renfrewshire, you should contact Hanover Scotland Housing Association directly by:

• phone: 0800 111 4646
• email: hello@hanover.scot

All very sheltered housing properties are rented.

The cost to rent a property depends on the size and location of the very sheltered housing complex. This is set by Hanover Scotland Housing Association

As well as rent, there will also be a service charge at each location.

Sheltered housing is designed to meet the needs of older people.

These properties offer you the independence of having your own home, with the safety of having an alarm system and sheltered housing officer service.

Sheltered housing is usually made up of a group of flats in a small building complex.

We provide 10 sheltered housing complexes in Renfrewshire. There are also 10 complexes provided by housing associations.

Our sheltered housing flats are accessible for people with mobility problems and include:

• safe bathrooms with doors which can be opened from the outside in an emergency
• lowered light switches and raised sockets to make them easier to use
• controlled entry and an emergency call system.

Our sheltered housing officers look after the complexes and make sure the residents are safe and well.

We provide the sheltered housing officer service 7 days a week, from 8am to 2pm. Officers work at more than one complex and will spend part of the day at each one.

If a sheltered housing officer is not at a complex, you can contact them during these hours through the emergency call system.

Each complex has a shared lounge where social activities take place, including events by local organisations and groups.

Many of our complexes have extra facilities, including a laundry room, garden, and a guest flat.

Guest flats are for visiting relatives or friends, and you should book these in advance. There is a small charge per night for the guest room.

What our sheltered housing officers can do

Our sheltered housing officers can:

• respond to emergencies
• carry out morning checks to make sure you are well
• make sure the emergency alarm system is always working
• encourage and support you to take part in social activities
• make sure all personal information is confidential and is only shared with others you have agreed to
• provide general assistance, including supporting you to arrange minor repairs, and help to fill in forms or contact other services.

What our sheltered housing officers cannot do

Our sheltered housing cannot:

• help with medication
• do your shopping for you
• assist or prepare meals or snacks
• carry out financial transactions for you or look after your financial affairs
• help you to get washed or dressed.

If you need additional housing support, you could get:

• a type of housing called very sheltered housing
• a type of housing called extra care housing, for more personal care support
• a place in a care home
• housing support at home.

You can contact the Adult Services Referral Team (ASeRT) at Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership by phoning 0300 300 1380 to discuss what services may be available.

Sheltered housing is available for people aged 60 or over who have a housing support need.

We have 10 sheltered housing complexes across Renfrewshire. Each complex contains between 14 and 42 self-contained homes, which include a kitchen, bathroom, private toilet and living area.

Our complexes are:

• Altpatrick Gardens, Paisley
• Houston Court, Johnstone
• The Oaks Complex, Johnstone
• Darkwood Court, Paisley
• Gallacher Court, Paisley
• Rowan Gardens, Paisley
• Speirsfield Gardens, Paisley
• Springbank Complex, Paisley
• Fulbar Court, Renfrew
• Monkdyke House, Renfrew.

Sheltered housing services are inspected by the Care Inspectorate Scotland. You can view the latest inspection reports on the Care Inspectorate Scotland website. 

Before you start, you'll need to register for MyAccount through mygov.scot. If you've already registered, you do not need to do it again. 

You must have a current application for housing with us before you can be considered for a property in our sheltered housing complexes.

If you do not have a current application for housing with us, you can complete our housing options application form online.

You do not have to finish the form all at once. You can save your progress and come back to it later.

If you would like to speak to someone about sheltered housing at one of our complexes, phone our housing advice service on 0300 300 0222 and select option 2.

To apply for sheltered housing provided by a housing association, you should contact the provider directly.

We'll pass your application to our assessment panel, who will send a letter to let you know their decision.

A number of housing associations in Renfrewshire also provide sheltered housing. These are:

• Bridgewater Housing Association
• Hanover Scotland Housing Association
• Linstone Housing Association.

Some housing associations also provide the option of retirement housing. This is like sheltered housing, but with no onsite staff.

Housing associations in Renfrewshire that provide retirement housing are:

• Bield Housing Association
• Cairn Housing Association
• Link Housing Association.

Applications for housing at these locations are handled by the individual housing associations.

You should visit the complexes before you apply to help you decide which one is best for you.

If you want to apply for housing at one of these locations, you'll need to contact the housing association directly.

More information

For more information about locations and types of sheltered housing provided in Renfrewshire, contact our housing advice service by:

• phone: 0300 300 0222
• email: housingadvice.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

All sheltered housing properties are rented. You cannot buy your sheltered housing property.

How you pay for sheltered housing will depend on your income or how much money you have saved.

You could get benefits to help pay your rent, such as Universal Credit or Housing Benefit.

By moving into sheltered housing, you are also agreeing to use our sheltered housing officer service.

In addition to your rent, the sheltered housing officer service costs up to £14.29 per week, but many residents pay much less than this.

The Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership will carry out an assessment of your income to calculate how much, if anything, you may have to pay.

Emergency repairs

An emergency repair is when the problem:

• is a serious threat to health and safety
• needs to be repaired quickly to prevent further damage to your home or a nearby property.

If it's an emergency repair, phone us on 0300 300 0300.

You can also use the freephone Repairs Direct telephone in the Johnstone neighbourhood office or the Paisley Customer Service Centre.

We will attend to an emergency repair outside of normal working hours when:

• it is not safe to wait until the next working day
• there is a serious risk to the structure of the property
• the property is not secure.

If it’s not an out-of-hours emergency, and does not need to be fixed immediately, we will arrange an appointment for the repair on the next working day.

If we cannot do a full repair, we’ll carry out a temporary repair to make it safe, and then return to complete the repair.

Some emergency repairs will be done within one day if they qualify for the Right to Repair Scheme.

Urgent repairs

Urgent repairs are not emergencies, but repairs which need to be carried out quickly to prevent further damage to your home.

Urgent repairs can include:

• minor leaks and overflows
• damaged flooring and tiles
• faulty showers.

To report an urgent housing repair:

• report it online
• phone 0300 300 0300
• email repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

We aim to fix urgent repairs within 5 working days of you reporting it to us.

However, some urgent repairs will be done sooner if they qualify for the Right to Repair Scheme.

There is a separate way to report a lighting fault on stairs or close.

Routine repairs

Routine repairs are everyday repairs due to normal wear and tear to your property.

Examples can include 

• blocked rainwater pipes or gutters
• radiators not working properly
• faulty electrical switches or light pendants.

You can report a routine house repair online.

We aim to do these routine repairs within 15 working days of you reporting it to us.

However, exact timings for routine or non-urgent repairs will depend on what the problem is.

Some routine repairs will be done sooner if they qualify for the Right to Repair Scheme.
 

Arranging your repair appointment

When reporting a repair, make sure that you:

• arrange the appointment for a time you'll be at home
• give a contact number in case we need to reschedule the appointment
• let us know about any reasons or issues that may affect us getting access to the property, so that we can act accordingly.

If you email us, make sure to tell us:

• your name
• your address
• your phone number
• what problem needs repairing
• what days and times you will be at home so someone can do the repair.

Appointments are available Mondays to Thursdays from:

• 8am to 1pm
• 10am to 3pm
• 12.30pm to 4.30pm.

Appointments are also available on Fridays from 8am to 1pm.

Report a housing repair

To report an urgent housing repair:

• phone 0300 300 0300
• email repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk 
   

We'll arrange an appointment for a tradesperson to come and fix the problem.

If we need to inspect the repair first, we’ll arrange a visit from a Repairs and Maintenance Officer. 

If we cannot finish the repair in a single visit, we'll fix the problem so it's safe and return and finish the repair later. 

Before the repairs person arrives

Once you have an appointment arranged, we need you to:

• make sure there is a responsible adult present to allow our tradesperson access to the repair
• clear the area around the repair before our tradesperson arrives to carry out the work – this can include lifting up carpets or laminate flooring, clearing counter tops and surfaces, emptying cupboards, taking down curtains or moving furniture away from the area
• keep pets and young children away from the area of the repair work whilst work is in progress.

Changing your appointment

If you can’t be there for the appointment, let us know as soon as possible and we will arrange an alternative time to suit you.

If you do not let us know, and we come to your house to carry out the repair and cannot access your home, the repair request will be cancelled. 

You will then need to call and arrange a new appointment.

Contact us if you need to change your appointment by:

• phone on 0300 300 0300
• email at repairs@renfrewshire.gov.uk