Housing

If you’re a council tenant and you want to make changes to improve or enlarge your council house, you must get permission from us before starting any work.

We need to make sure that any changes are carried out safely, professionally, and in line with the law. 

As the tenant, you’re responsible for applying for permission to make changes to your council house.

You must not make any changes in or around your council house until you have received permission, as this would be a breach of your tenancy conditions. 

Things you’ll need permission to install or make changes to include:

• roofs, external walls, or other structural alterations
• garages
• satellite dishes or aerials
• security lights or cameras
• fencing, gates, or posts
• driveways
• paving, slabbing, or patios
• garden huts or greenhouses
• central heating systems or fireplaces
• kitchens and bathrooms
• laminate flooring
• doors or windows
• pigeon lofts
• hot tubs
• trampolines in gardens
• stairlifts or handrails that affect an adjoining property.

What you do not need permission for

You do not need our permission before you decorate inside your council house. This includes putting up wallpaper, painting walls, or laying carpets or floor tiles.

If you’re unsure if you need permission to make a change, or would like advice on applying, contact your local housing team.

What you cannot get permission for

You cannot get permission for laminate flooring if you live in an upper flat or upper maisonette.

You should send a written request to your local housing team outlining the changes you would like to make to your property.

Find out which local housing team covers your area.

If you want to make changes or installations outside your council house or inside a shared property, you must also ask your local housing team for help getting your neighbours' permission in your request.

Email your request to the local housing team that covers your area: 

• Johnstone areas: johnstone.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Paisley North areas: paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Paisley South areas: paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Renfrew areas: renfrew.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

A member of our housing team will respond to you by email within 28 days.

A housing officer may ask you to provide a written agreement from any other joint tenant, partner, or person living with you.

Once we give you permission, you can then carry out the work you submitted in your request.

We always try to give our permission. However, we may refuse permission if:

• you’re behind with your rent
• we’re concerned that the changes or installations will not be safe or may cause undue noise for your neighbours
• the position of your changes or installation will interfere with future maintenance.

You can appeal a decision by emailing repairsandinvestment.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk and state the reasons for your appeal.

More information

If you’d like more information about making changes to your council house, you can contact your local housing office at:

• Johnstone areas: johnstone.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Paisley North areas: paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Paisley South areas: paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Renfrew areas: renfrew.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

You’re responsible for the cost of any changes, but you must wait until you have our written permission before carrying out the work.

We do not provide financial help for changes or alterations.  

If you made approved changes to your council house, you may be entitled to compensation once you move out. To get this, you must have:

• had our written permission to make the changes before you started the work
• kept any bills related to the changes you made.

You'll need to email us at repairsandinvestment.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk during your notice period if you'd like to ask for compensation.

We can offer a range of support for vulnerable people who may need help living independently but do not need long-term personal care.

Our housing support team can help people or families who:

• are at risk of losing their home or becoming homeless again
• struggle to keep a home or maintain a tenancy due to a disability, illness, or addiction issues
• are a victim of domestic abuse.

This support can include:

• advice on managing your money, bills, and budget
• help with filling in forms, writing letters and making benefit claims
• help to improve your skills and access employment opportunities
• help to manage a tenancy
• assistance to contact people, services, and other bodies who can help you.

We offer a temporary support plan for up to 2 years, with a review every 6 months.  

If you need more support after this time, we’ll help you find long-term services.

We have other support available if you’re homeless now or will become homeless in the next 8 weeks.

You could get housing support if you’re over 16 years old and:

• are at risk of being homeless
• are disabled
• have chronic illness
• have learning difficulties
• have mental health issues
• have issues with drugs or alcohol
• are an ex-offender
• are fleeing domestic abuse.

Who cannot get housing support

We cannot help people with personal care needs, like dressing, washing, or preparing food.

We can assist you if you need any further information on accessing personal care. We can also arrange a care assessment on your behalf.

Alternatively, you can contact our adult services request team to make a care referral by phoning 0300 300 1380.

Download and fill in our housing support referral form.

Send your completed form to us by email to housingsupportreferral@renfrewshire.gov.uk. 

By phone

Phone us on 0300 300 0344.

A housing support coordinator will talk to you and support you to make a referral.

You can refer yourself or someone else to our housing support service.

We’ll assess your referral and allocate it to a housing support officer within 3 working days of receiving it.

The housing support officer will contact you within 3 working days of receiving the referral. They will agree a date and time to meet with you.

During this meeting, the officer will discuss your circumstances, past experiences, your current situation, and what you may need help with.  

We’ll agree a support plan with you within 2 working days of making first contact with you.

For more information about housing support, you can contact our housing support coordinator by:

• phone: 0300 300 0344
• email: housingadvice.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

There is no charge for our housing support service.

Housing options interview

If you’re thinking about any housing support you may need or alternative accommodation, you can arrange an interview to discuss your housing options with our housing staff. 

You can discuss what options best suit your housing needs, such as council housing, other housing providers, the private rented sector, or owner occupation. 

You’ll also get financial information, including information on benefit changes and advice on other types of support available. 

If the best option is applying for council housing, our team can help you fill out the application form during the discussion. This helps us to improve the way we can match an applicant to a property, by looking at the areas you’d like to live in and the availability of properties within the areas that meet your needs. 

We’ll also discuss any support needs you may have as well as any other requirements. 

You can make an appointment for a housing options interview by: 

• phone: 0300 300 1203
• email: housingadvice.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

Home adaptations

If you or someone you live with has difficulty entering and leaving, or getting around your home, it may be possible to adapt your home to make it more suitable for your needs.  

If you have a council house, you can find out more about making adaptations to your home. 

If you’re a private homeowner, see what help is available through our scheme of assistance for private homeowners. 

We may also be able to reduce your council tax bill if your home has been adapted to meet the needs of a person with a disability who lives there. 

Find out more about council tax reductions on homes adapted for people with disabilities.

Care and Repair Renfrewshire

Care and Repair Renfrewshire provides advice and practical assistance.

This service is available to older and disabled homeowners and private tenants. It can provide information on home repairs, adaptations, and funding work to your home.  

Visit the Care and Repair Renfrewshire website for more information. 

Care at home service

Our care at home service helps vulnerable people of all ages to live independently and securely in their own homes by providing personal and housing support.

Care at home services are provided on individual circumstances and needs.  

Practical help is available for people who have difficulty:

• getting up or going to bed
• getting washed
• getting dressed
• getting to the toilet
• preparing meals
• eating
• looking after basic hygiene in their home.

Find out more about our care at home service.

Short term help at home (reablement)

Reablement is a care at home service that provides support to keep up the skills needed to return home after a stay in hospital or after an illness.  

The focus of reablement is to work alongside you, so that we can assess what you can do for yourself and what we can help you learn to do again.  

Find out more about our reablement services.

Sheltered housing

Sheltered housing is designed to meet the needs of people aged 60 or over.

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

Find out more about sheltered housing.

Very sheltered housing

Very sheltered housing provides enhanced housing support to sheltered housing.

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

Like sheltered housing, residents will still have their own flat and live as independently as they can, but with staff available to provide support 24 hours a day.

Very sheltered housing in Renfrewshire is provided by local housing associations and not by the council.

Find out more about very sheltered housing.

Extra care housing

Extra care housing may be suitable for people over 60 who need support with daily living and have higher or changing care needs.

Extra care housing complexes enable peoples to live independently in their own flat but provide more personal care support than sheltered housing and very sheltered housing.

The range of support available depends on your needs. Staff can help you with things you might have difficulty doing on your own, such as getting out of bed, getting dressed, and maintaining personal hygiene.

Find out more about extra care housing.

We can provide different housing options to help you continue to live independently as you get older.

This can include repairs or adaptations to make your home safer and more comfortable, or a move to specialist housing like sheltered housing, very sheltered housing, or extra care housing to receive more personal care.

For more information about housing support, you can contact our housing advice service by:

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

If you have a home to sell, you may be able to sell it to Renfrewshire Council.

Our buy-back scheme considers the purchase of former council homes from current owners and those placed on the open market, particularly where we are looking to increase our ownership in mixed tenure blocks.

This helps us to increase the amount of affordable housing in the area and meet identified housing needs.

There are many benefits to selling your home to the council, including:

• no estate agent fees
• no chain to consider
• no viewings to arrange.

Your property may can be eligible for the scheme if it meets the following conditions:

• it will increase the supply of council housing in the area
• it is a size or type that meets demands in an area
• it will help to address needs within existing housing stock
• it is close to existing council housing
• it represents good value for money to the council's Housing Revenue Account.

Any works required to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard and the council's letting standard would be carried out, and the property would be let in accordance with the Council's Common Housing Allocation Policy.

We will only consider buying a property if it meets the conditions and is considered good value for money. This will take account of the purchase price and cost of any repairs or improvements required.

Email us at regeneration.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you're interested in the council's buy-back scheme.

Why you should explore your options

Empty homes cost owners on average £14,306.31 per year. Common expenses include:

• lost rent
• council tax payments
• insurance
• security
• maintenance.

By bringing an empty home back into use, you can also help increase housing supply and reduce carbon emissions in Renfrewshire.

What your options are

Our More Homes Officer can give advice and discuss your options to bring your empty home back into use, including:

• Matchmaker Scheme - you can connect with developers looking to buy properties
• VAT discounts - you may be eligible for reduced VAT if your property has been empty over a certain period of time
• merchant discounts - you may be eligible for discounts from participating builders merchants under the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership
• letting opportunities.

Learn more about VAT and merchant discounts (Scottish Empty Homes Partnership website).

If you're interested in the Matchmaker Scheme, fill in this form and email it to allana.mcluskey@renfrewshire.gov.uk:

How to get advice and discuss your options

Contact our More Homes Officer, Allana McLuskey:

• email allana.mcluskey@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• phone 07811 055 016.

More information

For advice and more information about the scheme, contact our owner services team:

• phone 0300 300 0300
• email ownerservices.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

What a missing share is

A missing share is where the majority of owners in a tenement or other flatted property agree to carry out common repairs or maintenance, but cannot take this work forward due to the minority of owners who are unwilling or unable to pay their share.

What the missing shares scheme is

We can help tenement flat owners in situations where one or more owners are not contributing to common repairs with a missing shares scheme.

Common repairs are any works that are needed to maintain the shared parts of a tenement style building.

We can consider paying a missing share if:

• the owners are responsible for repairs and maintenance work to shared areas of the building
• the majority of the owners have agreed to get the repairs or maintenance done
• the majority of owners have notified the non-paying owners that they are in the minority and their payment is needed in order for the works to take place
• it is unreasonable to ask an owner to pay
• if an owner cannot be found.

Payment of the missing shares will allow the other owners to carry on with the repair or maintenance to prevent more serious and expensive repairs in the future.

We also want to do this because it can help prevent Renfrewshire's tenement buildings falling into disrepair.

We'll then look to recover costs from the owners who have not paid for their missing share, plus any administration charges and interest.

The scheme is available to any fully privately owned tenement or flatted property.

If a property is owned by a landlord, it is the landlord's responsibility to pay their share of common repairs.

We can pay a missing share on essential common repairs and maintenance for works which have not yet started, to keep the building wind and watertight such as:

• replacing a roof
• replacing a gutter and roofline
• essential stonework.

How much you could get

You could get from £500 up to £10,000 for each missing share.

We cannot pay a missing share for work that has already started or completed.

Before applying for a missing share payment, you'll need to:

• identify the work that needs to be carried out
• get quotes for the repair from a contractor - the majority of owners must then agree to the work and agree to pay their share
• open a maintenance account - this is a bank account to hold the funds which are used to pay for common repair or maintenance costs
• calculate the share of costs for each owner
• write to all owners saying they must pay their share into the maintenance account by a specific date - this is called a Section 50 notice.

If you have a factor, they will be able to help you with this process. A factor manages and maintains the common parts of a tenement or flatted property owned by more than one homeowner, for example the stairways, hallways and lifts in a tenement flat.

Otherwise, you can nominate an owner in the building to act as the co-ordinator.

See more information on how to carry out each step in the process in our Tenement repairs scheme for owners and property factors leaflet.

If some owners are unwilling or unable to pay their share into the maintenance account by the date you have specified, you can apply for missing shares payment.

You can ask for an application form by emailing our owner services team at ownerservices.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

You should complete and return this form to us by email along with the supporting information detailed on the application form.

After we receive your application, we will check to make sure:

• the repairs and maintenance are eligible and you have got competitive quotes for the work
• the Section 50 notice has been issued - if the conditions have been met, we will try and contact owners who have not paid their share into the maintenance account
• any owners with missing shares do not have existing debt with the council - we may not make any payments until this debt has been cleared.

If we decide to pay a missing share, we will then write to all owners before the work starts.

After the work is completed and we have received the final invoice, we will deposit the missing share costs into the maintenance account so the final bill can be paid.

If we decide not to pay a missing share, you can find more information and guidance on enforcing repairs on The Under One Roof website.

Who can get support

You can receive help or support under the scheme of assistance if you are:

• a property owner
• a private tenant
• a disabled person or if a disabled person lives in your household (where we have assessed that the home requires adaptations to meet their needs).

What support is available

There are 3 main areas of support under the scheme of assistance.

Information and advice

We'll provide a range of advice and information to any homeowner on home repairs, improvements and how to manage these.

This advice is available through council services, partner organisations and local and national advice agencies.

The scheme of assistance provides useful contact emails, phone numbers and links to partner websites.

Practical assistance

We can provide practical assistance towards:

• older and disabled people to live safely in their homes
• owners of empty homes
• missing shares scheme for tenement repairs
• the co-ordination of energy efficiency programmes
• shared repairs in mixed tenure blocks with council properties.

Financial assistance

We can provide financial assistance to people with disabilities to adapt their homes to make them more suitable to live in (where we have assessed that the home requires adaptations to meet their needs).

We can also provide grant support to flat owners in mixed tenure blocks if:

• you're being asked to participate in capital improvement works to common parts where the council or Registered Social Landlords (RSL) own some properties in the building
• you're being asked to participate in council housing regeneration programmes.

How to get support

You can see the full range of help and support available through our scheme of assistance for private homeowners.

Further information

For more information about the scheme of assistance or private housing support, contact our Owner Services Team:

• phone 0300 300 0300
• email ownerservices.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

If you're a private homeowner, we can offer support to help you maintain, repair and adapt your house.

Section 72 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 requires all local authorities to produce a 'scheme of assistance' for private sector housing.

The scheme of assistance details the help and advice we can provide to owners who need to carry out repairs and improvement work to their homes.

It tells you when we'll provide practical support and financial assistance to private housing which:

• is in disrepair or below the tolerable standard as detailed in the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987
• needs to be adapted because a person is disabled.

Financial support can include grants (which you do not need to pay back), but only in limited circumstances.

Non-financial help can include information, advice and practical help to homeowners.

Through a range of actions set out in our Local Housing Strategy, we'll work with partners to:

• encourage owners to take more responsibility for the repair and maintenance of their homes
• support older and disabled people to live independently and safely in their own homes
• support owners in mixed tenure blocks (where there is a mix of both privately owned homes and council or Registered Social Landlord homes) to carry out shared repairs
• bring empty homes back into use
• improve the energy efficiency of homes and reduce fuel poverty
• improve management and maintenance issues in the private rented sector.

What you need to do

Once you contact us and tell us your situation, we'll provide you with the forms that you'll need to complete and return to us.

In your initial message, tell us who you are - for example, a landlord or letting agent. Also tell us what you are planning to do - for example, evicting someone from your property.

Contact us by:

• phone 0300 300 1203
• email preventionteam.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

You have certain legal duties if you're a:

• private landlord
• letting agent
• housing association
• registered social landlord
• lender or creditor to a homeowner.

You must tell us if you plan to:

• evict someone from your property
• repossess someone's home
• take action with the sheriff court or the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland.

This is so we have plenty of notice when someone is at risk of losing their home.

You're legally required to do this by section 11 of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 (legislation.gov.uk website).

Our local housing teams provide a wide range of services, information and support for council tenants in Renfrewshire.

Local housing teams are responsible for managing council-owned tenancies and the areas they’re located. 

What our local housing teams can help with

Our local housing teams are there for council tenants to contact if they need direct help with something, such as:

• rent enquiries
• issuing new rent payment cards
• providing paper forms for setting up direct debits and standing orders, for you to complete and return
• rent arrears and managing your rent debt to us
• investigating noise nuisance and antisocial behaviour, if caused by a council tenant
• keeping areas clean and tidy by investigating improper waste disposal
• referring you to different services, depending on your needs and circumstances
• garden assistance
• home contents insurance
• housing application enquiries, including sheltered housing
• telling us about a change in circumstances, such as tenancy changes or someone moving in or out of your home
• ending your tenancy
• getting permissions to make changes inside or outside your council house, such as interior alterations or putting up a fence
• other permissions, such as having a pet
• applying for Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP).

What our local housing teams cannot help with

Our local housing teams cannot help with:

• repairs - tenants should report any issues on repairs by phoning 0300 300 0300.
• antisocial behaviour issues in non-council managed areas – these should be reported to the police or our community support wardens by phoning 0300 300 0380 (option 1) or email wardens.es@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

We have local housing teams in:

• Johnstone
• Paisley North
• Paisley South
• Renfrew.

These areas cover council-owned tenancies in:

Johnstone

• Johnstone
• Linwood
• Houston
• Bridge of Weir
• Spateston
• Kilbarchan
• Elderslie
• Lochwinnoch

Paisley North

• Ferguslie
• Ferguslie Park
• Shortroods
• Seedhill
• Whitehaugh
• Todholm
• Calside
• Ralston
• Paisley West End

Paisley South

• Foxbar
• Glenburn
• Lochfield
• Dykebar
• Hunterhill
• Neilston Road/Alice Street area
• Barterholm

Renfrew

• Gallowhill
• Kirklandneuk
• Moorpark
• Renfrew Centre
• Inchinnan
• Arkleston
• Bishopton
• Dargavel.

If you're a council tenant, you can email your local housing team:

• Johnstone areas: johnstone.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Paisley North areas: paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Paisley South areas: paisley.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk
• Renfrew areas: renfrew.hps@renfrewshire.gov.uk

By phone

You can phone us on 0300 300 0222 and choose the option for the local housing team that covers your area.

In-person appointment

You can book an in-person appointment for our Paisley or Johnstone office.

You must book an appointment in advance by phoning us on 0300 300 0222.

Paisley office:

Renfrewshire Council 
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1LE.

Johnstone office:

Johnstone Town Hall
 25 Church Street
Johnstone
PA5 8FA.

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

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

To get information in another format:

• phone: 0300 300 0222
• email your local housing team at the email address listed further up on this page.

How ground heating systems work

Ground source heating systems are more energy efficient and eco-friendly, as they use renewable energy from the ground. 

Deep holes (boreholes) are drilled into the ground around the tower blocks in the carpark and grass areas. The holes contain pipes that form a shared ground loop that collects heat naturally stored in the earth. It provides a building with all of its heating and hot water all year round.

Each flat will have its own small heat pump. These pumps are connected to the shared ground loop.

The heat collected from the ground loop pipes is transferred to the heat pumps in each flat. The heat pumps then increase the temperature of this heat to a level suitable for heating the flats and providing hot water.

The heated water is circulated through the building by communal pipework, called risers. These then split off into each individual flat to the heat pump which is controlled by the tenant.

The heat pump unit in your flat is powered by electricity and not gas. You'll no longer need a gas meter for your heating or hot water.

Who is getting it installed

Every home in the Gallowhill and Glencairn Court tower flats will get the new heating and hot water system.

What happens during the installation

Kensa will carry out the works and aim to complete it by Autumn of 2026.

They'll install a new heat pump and hot water cylinder in your home, along with new radiators and controls. 

The new heat pump is installed safely in an airing cupboard or kitchen cabinet, in the same way as a traditional boiler. It's no louder than a kitchen appliance such as a dishwasher.

The controls for your radiators, thermostat and room temperature controls will work a lot like your current system.

The contractor will provide you with a manual and demonstrations for the new heating system to show you how it works. 

You will not need to move out during the installation. There will be a communal area available for use during working hours so that you can have a break from the disruption of the installation. 

Drilling in the car park will be limited to sections at a time to reduce disruption and maintain as much availability of the car park as much as possible.

How long it will take 

The project will be completed in 3 phases during 2025 and 2026:

Phase 1: drilling the bore holes and installing the pipework in the ground in the surrounding areas. This will be completed in sections to reduce disruption to the car park as much as possible. 

Phase 2: installing the pipework supply in the tower blocks.

Phase 3: disconnecting the gas supply and installation of new supply pipes, new radiators, heat pumps and hot water cylinders into each flat.

The whole project is expected to be completed in Autumn 2026.

We'll keep you informed through each stage of the process, including details of the installation timeline. 

You can also contact us if you have any questions or concerns by:

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

Kensa will also have liaison officers on site to support tenants throughout the works.

After it's installed

After the new system is installed, your heating and hot water usage will be automatically added to your electricity bill. 

We'll give you support on which electricity and heat pump tariffs that are available for your home.

We are installing a new ground source heating system to replace the current gas supply for heating and hot water in the Gallowhill and Glencairn Court tower blocks.

New radiators, a small individual heat pump, and a hot water cylinder will be installed in each home to replace your current heating and hot water.

This change is necessary as the current gas pipework supplying the buildings is nearing the end of its lifespan.