Guide

Before you start renting

Landlord registration

To check that someone is a registered landlord, you can either:

• search for their name on the Scottish Landlord Register website
• search for their name on the Landlord Accreditation Scotland website
• phone us on 0300 300 0300 and ask us.

If you’ve checked these sources and you’re still not sure that a landlord is registered, we recommend that you do not rent a property from them.

Your rights

Learn what your rights are as a private tenant (Scottish Government website), including rights about:

• rent increases
• the rent adjudication process (you can ask for an independent review if you think your rent increase is unreasonable)
• repairs and maintenance
• eviction rights.

Tenancy agreement

Your landlord must give you a tenancy agreement when you move into your rental home.
Tenancy agreements list certain information, rights, and responsibilities between you and your landlord, such as:

• your name
• your landlord’s name
• the address of the property you’ll be renting
• the date the tenancy began
• whether other people are allowed to use the property
• how much rent you’ll need to pay, when to pay it, and how to pay it
• how often and when your rent can increase
• who will pay the council tax and utility bills
• whether your landlord will provide any additional services
• how much notice you and your landlord must give before one of you can end the tenancy.

Learn more about tenancy agreements (Citizens Advice Scotland website).

Council tax

Tell us about a change of address for council tax 2 weeks before you move into your new home.

When you’re moving in

Inventory

Your landlord may give you an inventory, which is a list of all items that were in the property when you started renting.

If your landlord does not provide an inventory, we recommend that you make your own list of these items and give a copy to the landlord when you move in.

Energy performance certificate

An energy performance certificate is a document with information about:

• how energy efficient a building is
• how the efficiency could be improved.

Buildings are rated on a scale from A to G, with A being the most efficient.

Your landlord must give you a free copy of the property’s energy performance certificate when you move in. It should match the one they used when advertising the property.

Learn more about energy performance certificates (Scottish Government website).

Once you’re living in the property

Repairs and maintenance

Your landlord is responsible for any repairs needed to make sure your home meets all legal standards, called the ‘Repairing Standard’. This includes things such as making sure the property:

• meets the ‘Tolerable Standard’, which is a basic habitability standard that all properties in Scotland must meet to ensure they are suitable for people to live in
• is wind- and watertight
• is structurally sound
• has a satisfactory food storage area and food preparation space
• has no appliances or other fittings in disrepair (anything provided must be in good working order).

Learn more about the Repairing Standard (Scottish Government website).

Your landlord must also arrange annual gas safety checks on gas appliances and check any electrical equipment in the property.

You should tell your landlord if you need something repaired. We recommend you do this in writing – for example, by email.

You need to give your landlord reasonable access to the property so they can do the repairs.

If your landlord will not do essential repairs, you can make a complaint to the Housing and Property Chamber.

Learn more about your landlord’s responsibilities or make a complaint (Housing and Property Chamber website).

Damages

You must pay for any damages you cause to the property.

You must replace any of the items in the inventory that become lost or broken during your tenancy.

If you’re planning on moving out

You must give your landlord at least 28 days' notice in writing if you want to end your tenancy, unless you ask for shorter notice and they agree in writing.

The notice period will begin on the day your landlord gets your notice and will end 28 days after that date.

You and your landlord can agree a different notice period, but this must be in writing and can only be done once you’ve started to live in the property.

Your landlord cannot require you to give a longer notice period than 28 days.

Learn more about ending your tenancy (Scottish Government website).

Evictions

Your landlord can only evict you (end your tenancy and make you move out) for specific reasons. These are called ‘grounds for eviction’.

Learn about grounds for eviction (Scottish Government website).

Your landlord should give you a ‘notice to leave’ to evict you. This is a legal document that includes:

• that you must leave the property
• the reason they’re asking you to leave (the ground for eviction)
• your notice period (how long you have until you must move out).

Learn what to do if you think you’re being illegally evicted (Shelter Scotland website).

Get help adapting your home for disabilities

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

This guide is for private tenants – people who rent their home from a private landlord, not the council.

We have separate information for people living in council housing.

Travelling during bad weather

If you must travel during bad weather, make sure you:

• keep up to date with the latest weather forecasts, and check them a day or more in advance
• consider alternative routes and modes of transport in case your preferred route is unavailable
• allow extra time for your journey
• tell someone your destination and when you expect to arrive
• ensure your mobile phone is charged before you set off
• wear clothes that are appropriate for the weather.

Public transport

Check for public transport disruptions before you start your journey (Traveline Scotland website).

Walking or cycling

When cycling or walking, wear clothes that ensure you’re visible to road users. Your clothes should be light, bright and reflective. 

You should also wear clothes that are appropriate for the weather.

If cycling, consider treaded tyres for slippery surfaces. Regularly give your bike a routine maintenance check.

Driving

Before travelling by car during bad weather, make sure you:

• check the latest traffic updates (Traffic Scotland website)
• ensure your tyres are at the correct pressure and are in good condition
• check that your bulbs are all clean and working
• keep your washer levels topped up and have checked that your wiper blades are working
• check your fuel, brake fluid, anti-freeze, water and oil levels
• check the terms of your breakdown cover – if you do not have breakdown cover, you should look into getting this
• pack an emergency car kit.

Emergency car kits should include:

• a torch
• spare batteries
• a change of clothes and shoes
• a blanket
• long-lasting food and water
• a first aid kit
• battery jump leads
• a map
• an ice scraper, de-icer, towel and snow shovel.

Read the information on this page to help prepare for travel during bad weather and make sure you stay safe.

Power cuts

Power cuts could happen at any time.

Read these tips to help you prepare for a power cut and loss of other utilities (Ready Scotland website).

Phone 105, now your power provider, if you have an unexpected power cut.

Read these tips on what to do during a power cut (Scottish Fire and Rescue Service website).

Planned power cuts

Planned power cuts could last for several hours. This ensures power providers share the power supply fairly with their customers. Power providers will usually let you know if to expect a planned power cut, but this might not be possible during an emergency.

Loss of water

Check if there are any water outages in your area (Scottish Water website) if you lose your water supply.

Contact Scottish Water (Scottish Water website) if you need to speak to someone about it.

Loss of gas

Phone 0800 111 999 to report a gas emergency to the National Gas Emergency Service.

It’s important to be prepared in case your home ever has a loss of utilities.

Read the information on this page to help prepare for a loss of your power, water or gas supply.

What you can do in your community

Emergencies affect people in different ways. They disrupt people's lives and can affect the way people cope. When living in a community, it’s a good idea to think about the people in your surrounding area.

You could:

• keep a list of phone numbers of vulnerable neighbours and relatives
• visit older neighbours and ensure that they have what they need and know that you’re there if they need support
• offer to help with shopping or any other essential tasks
• if there is ice or snow, clear it from pathways around your home and your neighbour's home
• encourage younger people to help older generations.
• All work done by the community should be safe and appropriate. We do not expect anyone to take unnecessary risks during an emergency.

Community Risk Register

A Community Risk Register helps inform the public of a range of potentially disruptive events to the local area based on current risk assessments.

If a particular risk is on your community’s register, it does not necessarily mean that the risk will happen.

Find the Community Risk Register for your area (Fire Scotland website).

Community Resilience Plan

A Community Resilience Plan is a way for your community to come together to think about what it could do to:

• be prepared for an emergency
• assist the emergency services during an emergency.

Local people will be key to getting information around communities during an emergency.

Our Civil Contingencies Service can provide advice and guidance for your community group to help create a Community Resilience Plan. Email them at ccs@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Learn more about community resilience (Ready Scotland website).

British Red Cross emergency apps

The British Red Cross has free apps available to help you prepare for emergencies.

Browse emergency apps on the British Red Cross website.

The resources, knowledge and networks of local communities can be very helpful during an emergency.

The emergency services may be unable to assist or reach the scene of an emergency immediately. If this happens, the initial response may depend on the local community.

This is not about doing the job of the emergency services. It’s about supporting your community and those in it by preparing and using the skills and knowledge within the community.

Read the information on this page to help prepare your community for emergencies.

How to prepare your business for an emergency

Your business could be severely affected by an emergency.

Taking the time now to consider how you would cope will better equip your response to an incident.

For example, have you planned how you would carry on your core business if your premises were affected by a fire or a flood?

To help your response to an emergency, you can:

• prepare a business grab bag
• create a business continuity plan.

Business continuity planning

1 in 5 organisations suffer a major disruption every year.

80% of businesses affected by a major incident – that do not have business continuity planning arrangements in place – either close within 18 months or never re-open.

Business continuity planning will help you to understand and manage the risks to the everyday risks faced by your organisation. 

It will help you prepare for emergencies or disruptions by planning different ways of working that enable you to continue to deliver key functions.

View our business continuity planning leaflet to  help you assess your current business continuity planning arrangements. It also has ideas to improve the resilience of your business.

Our Civil Contingencies Service can offer further information and advice on business continuity planning. Email them at ccs@renfrewshire.gov.uk

Cyber security and information assurance

Companies or individuals who initiate active attacks on others may do so for a range of reasons, such as to breach national security or to take part in acts of terrorism, crime, or industrial espionage.  

To protect against such attacks, the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI) advises businesses to consider the following questions and to keep these under constant review:

• who would want access to your information, and how could they acquire it
• how could they benefit from its use
• can they sell it, amend it or prevent staff or customers from accessing it
• how damaging would loss of data be, and how would it affect your operations?

Carelessness is the cause of many cyber failures – for example, failure to encrypt a USB stick or when staff ignore corporate procedures regarding external emails.

Here are some steps you can take to ensure the safety of your information and to minimise the risks of a successful cyber-attack:

• keep track of authorised and unauthorised devices and software
• organise both hardware and software on laptops, workstations and servers
• continually review vulnerability assessments
• install defences against harmful software
• introduce and promote training for staff
• limit and control network ports
• control use of desktops – for example, using strong passwords that follow known standards
• keep detailed logs identifying the location, malicious software deployed, and activity of the machine affected
• control access to facilities, information and systems on a need-to-know basis
• monitor staff accounts appropriately
• establish data loss prevention techniques
• embed incident response plans to protect your organisation’s reputation
• maintain a secure network
• reinforce staff messages around vigilance – for example, only opening emails from trusted senders and reporting breaches of security.

More information

Here are some non-council resources on preparing your business for emergencies:

• business continuity in an emergency (Ready Scotland website)
• the Business Continuity Institute website
• the National Cyber Security Centre website
• the Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland website.

It’s important to be prepared for a range of emergencies that could affect your business, including:

• physical emergencies, such as fire or flood
• cyber emergencies, including cyber attacks.

Read the information on this page to ensure you’ve prepared your business for emergencies.

Emergency supplies at home

You should aim to keep a range of supplies that can meet essential household needs for at least 3 days.

These could include:

• radio (and spare batteries) or wind-up radio
• torch (and spare batteries)
• candles and matches
• first aid kit
• details of local radio station frequencies
• copies of important documents, such as insurance policies and your household emergency plan
• bottled water and long-lasting, ready-to-eat food with a tin opener
• pet food, if needed
• spare keys to your house and vehicle
• spare glasses or contact lenses
• toiletries and prescription medicine (including for pets)
• pen and paper, penknife, and whistle
• wellies and waterproof clothing.

Additional checks to protect your home

Make sure you have household insurance that meets your needs and that you store important documents safely.

Familiarise yourself with the location of all your utility stop cocks in case you need to disconnect your water, electricity or gas supply.

If you or a member of your family has a specific health or medical problem that requires a permanent utility supply of water, gas or electricity, contact your supplier to register these details.

If you must evacuate your home

You should prepare a 'grab bag' with the items listed below ready in case you need to evacuate. 

You might need this at short notice, so you should keep the bag in a place that’s easy to reach.

Include these items in your grab bag:

• any medication you might need
• glasses or contact lenses
• first aid kit
• essential keys including house and car
• cash, credit and debit cards
• passport and any other important documents
• a change of clothing, footwear and sleeping attire
• washing, shaving and sanitary supplies
• any special items for babies, children, elderly and disabled people
• a torch, very small radio, and batteries
• mobile phone and charger
• supply of appropriate food and water
• bottle and can openers.

Make a household emergency plan

A household emergency plan is easy to make and can help you prepare for an emergency. 

Include these items in your household emergency plan:

• an emergency contact – someone who has agreed to contact you in the event of an emergency to ensure you’re okay
• important contact numbers and details – such as schools, carers, childminders, vets, workplaces, doctors, utility suppliers and any other important contact details
• meeting place details in case you and your family need to meet at a safe and suitable place – you should identify a place close to your home, and another that is further away, and ensure that everyone knows these locations
• contact details for your friends and any vulnerable people that live nearby – so you can check on them if it’s safe to do so
• any arrangements for emergencies that occur while you’re on holiday.

You should create more specific plans if you live or work near potentially dangerous places such as chemical plants or flood-prone areas.

It’s important to be prepared for a range of emergencies that could include:

• staying at home for an extended period
• evacuating your home.

Read the information on this page to ensure you’ve prepared your home for emergencies.

Snow and ice

Grit bins

Find your nearest grit bin using our online map.

Request a grit bin refill on our roads and lighting form, and we'll get to it as soon as we can.

Road gritting and snow clearance

We’re responsible for maintaining the public road network in Renfrewshire. This does not include motorways and trunk roads (M8, A8 at Langbank, A737 and Erskine Bridge), which are the responsibility of Transport Scotland.

As part of our maintenance duties, we provide 24-hour cover to respond to snow and ice using multiple gritting vehicles that either:

• spread rock salt on the roads to prevent ice forming
• use ploughs to remove snow during heavy periods of snowfall.

Find out more about our gritting routes.

Paths and driveways

Keeping paths and driveways clear ensures that everyone can maintain access to local services.

You can borrow a grit spreader, snow shovel and grit from our ‘Team Up to Clean Up’ community caddies. Find out more about borrowing equipment.

Supporting those around you

If you're worried about a relative or elderly neighbour, get advice by:

• phoning us on 0300 300 0300
• phoning the Age UK helpline on 0800 678 1602 (8am to 7pm every day).

If you're concerned that the person may have hypothermia, phone 111 to contact NHS 24.

Get more tips on preparing for and coping with the winter months (Ready Scotland website).

Flooding

Report blocked drains or severe flooding

Report a blocked drain or flooding issue online.

If it’s an emergency, phone us on 0300 300 0380.

Find out if you live in a flood risk area

Find out if you live in a flood risk area (SEPA website). Enter your postcode to see a map showing flood risk in your area.

To get flood updates, you can:

• sign up for flood updates (SEPA website)
• check with Floodline by phoning 0345 988 1188.

Check expected flooding in the next three days (SEPA website).

How to prepare for flooding

Get information about preparing for flooding on the Ready Scotland website.

The information includes:

• how to prepare a food plan and family emergency kit
• steps to take to prepare your home for flooding
• what you need to remember during a flooding incident.

Our priorities during a flooding incident

Our priority at the council is to act immediately on any threat or danger to life. We work closely with the emergency services in sharing our resources.

We’ll have teams on site at known hotspots to clear standing water and clear overwhelmed drains.

We may have teams working to take down dangerous trees if the flooding is accompanied by gale force winds.

Evacuation from an area (by us or emergency services) is done only when absolutely necessary. In the event of evacuation, we’ll set up a rest centre close by to accommodate you.

How to recover from a flooding incident

Get information about recovering from flooding on the Ready Scotland website.

The information includes:

• steps to take before attempting to re-enter your home
• tips on who to contact for help
• resources for those affected by flooding.

Frozen pipes

Avoid frozen or burst pipes

Ensuring pipes and water tanks are insulated is an easy, affordable way to protect your home from winter weather.

Find out how to protect your pipes from freezing and bursting (Scottish Water website).

If your pipes freeze or burst:

• turn off the stop valve immediately – this is usually located under the sink or close to the hot water system
• turn on all cold taps to drain the system – do not turn on hot taps, as this can cause the hot water cylinder to collapse
• flush all toilets – collect water in the bath for washing and flushing the toilet, if needed
• switch off the central heating and immersion heater.

Ensure that you have a number for a registered plumber if your pipes do freeze or burst.

If the issue is with a burst water main, phone Scottish Water on 0345 601 8855.

If you live in a council home

Find out more about preventing frozen pipes or reporting a burst pipe.

If you live in a council home, find out how to report a housing repair.

Fallen trees

Phone us on 0300 300 0380 to report a fallen tree.

As a council, we’re prepared to deal with winter or severe weather before, during and after it happens. This is to ensure that we keep you safe and moving throughout the winter period.

Read the information on this page to ensure you’re prepared for:

• snow and ice
• flooding
• frozen pipes
• fallen trees.

Check UK weather warnings (Met Office website).

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