Guide

More information

Find out how to:

• apply for Community Asset Transfer
• view a list of Community Asset Transfer requests
• view Community Asset Transfer annual reports.

Email us at communityassettransfer@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you’d like more information or want to discuss your Community Asset Transfer idea.

Download our full Community Asset Transfer policy:

Community Asset Transfer is the process of moving responsibility for an asset (land and buildings) from the council to a community-controlled organisation.

The process is covered by Part 5 of the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (legislation.go.uk).

Eligible organisations have the right to apply for Community Asset Transfer to own, lease, or manage (have rights over) any council-owned land or building that they think they could make better use of.

Ownership or control of land and buildings is a powerful tool for communities to make positive changes and achieve their goals. In Renfrewshire, we’re committed to working with eligible organisations to make asset transfer requests.

List of tenants and residents associations

These are the areas in Renfrewshire that have tenants and residents associations:

• Bridge of Weir
• Caledonia Glen, representing part of Caledonia Street and Glen Street in Paisley
• Cochrane Castle
• Corseford
• Ferguslie Park North
• Glenburn
• Maxwellton Court
• Moorpark
• Provost Close
• Williamsburgh
• Woodside.

Email us at tenantparticipation@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you'd like more information about one of these associations or you're interested in joining one.

Start a new tenants and residents association

What they can do

Tenants and residents associations are an important way to:

• discuss local issues
• create a sense of community
• ensure your voice is heard by the council and other stakeholders.

We share advice and information with tenants and residents associations in Renfrewshire to:

• highlight what's happening across our housing services
• welcome feedback on priorities and issues from communities.

We can provide a small amount of funding to cover the running costs of associations in Renfrewshire.

Contact us

Email us at tenantparticipation@renfrewshire.gov.uk if you're interested in starting a new tenant and residents association.

Tenants and residents are groups of people, including council tenants and other residents, who live in an area and:

• provide a collective voice for tenants and residents
• act as a focus for consultation and drive change
• develop extra services, such as lunch clubs or advice resources, to other tenants and residents
• hold regular meetings open to everyone in the association area and conduct their business through a smaller committee.

Get involved

There are lots of ways our people who live in council housing (our tenants) can shape our housing services, including:

• joining an established tenants and residents association or forming a new one
• joining the Tenant Scrutiny Panel
• participating in our tenant-led inspections of our high-rise sheltered housing and housing estates.

Stay updated

We regularly send our tenants email updates sharing important news and information.

We also produce reviews and newsletters keeping tenants up to date.

Read more about our performance as your housing provider.

Contact our tenant participation team

Contact us by:

Other resources

Here are some non-council organisations that offer support to council tenants:

• Engage Renfrewshire - supporting community and voluntary groups, social enterprises, and charities in Renfrewshire
• Renfrewshire Youth Voice - representing young people ages 12 to 25 living in Renfrewshire
• ROAR for Life - helping older people across Renfrewshire
• Scottish Government housing information
• Tenants Information Service - providing independent information, advice, and training for tenants across Scotland
• Tenant Participation Advisory Service - the national tenant and landlord participation advisory service for Scotland
• Scottish Housing Regulator.

Insurance options

You can either:

• join the AVIVA contents insurance scheme arranged by Renfrewshire Council
• make your own arrangements with another insurance provider.

AVIVA contents insurance

This is information about the AVIVA contents insurance scheme arranged by Renfrewshire Council.

Download and read the documents below for details on what's covered and how you can join the scheme:

Other details about AVIVA contents insurance

Acceptance restrictions may apply for conviction and claims experience. Terms and conditions apply.

The policy is arranged by Aon UK Ltd and underwritten by Aviva Insurance Limited, who are authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.

• Aviva Insurance Limited, Registered in Scotland Number 2116
• Registered Office: Pitheavlis, Perth, PH2 0NH
• Authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and the Prudential Regulation Authority. FP.TCI.2025.450.SD

Home contents insurance offers protection for your belongings. You'll pay a regular fee for the insurance. Then, if the items in your home are damaged, you may be able to claim money back to cover the cost of replacing them.

We encourage everyone who lives in council housing to get home contents insurance. That's because we, the council, will not cover the costs if your items - such as furniture, decorations, and other belongings - are lost due to fire, theft, vandalism, or water damage, such as burst pipes.

Getting a financial assessment

If you receive a chargeable service, we'll assess you to see how much you can afford to pay towards the cost of those services. This is called a financial assessment.

During a financial assessment, we use Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) systems and our own systems to support this process. We'll only get in touch with you if we need further information.

Your financial assessment considers your income and essential expenses, including any other costs you may have due to a disability. If you have disability-related expenditure (DRE), this can be considered to reduce your charge.

Examples of disability-related expenditure include:

• equipment - mobility aids, communication devices,, home adaptations
• healthcare costs - physiotherapy, acupuncture, chiropody or podiatry, specialist treatments
• daily living costs - additional laundry expenses, incontinence products, special dietary needs additional clothing or bedding
• transport - use of taxis if public transport is inaccessible, mileage costs
• household costs - higher than average heating bills due to a medical condition
• services - personal alarm subscriptions, online shopping delivery, assistance with cleaning or gardening
• activities - if the activity is recommended for health reasons such as rehabilitation or to prevent social isolation.

Examples of expenditure that are not classed as disability-related expenditure include:

• housing costs (rent or mortgage)
• general food costs
• council tax
• entertainment services such as Sky or Netflix
• home insurance.

We'll take into account the following income and savings, based on a weekly amount, when assessing your ability to contribute to the cost of eligible care and support:

• net earnings (your earnings after any tax has been taken off)
• benefits and tax credits
• pension income
• other income.

Read our charging policy for more information on how we work out how much you should pay:

Tell us about your disability-related expenditure

You should tell us about any disability-related expenditure so we can consider it during your financial assessment.

Before telling us, make sure you have:

• details of your expenditure
• proof of the amount you pay, such as receipts, invoices, or the last 3 months bank statements.

Here's an example of what a completed DRE form looks like so you know what to expect.

You can tell us about your disability-related expenditure online, by email, or by post.

Tell us online

Tell us about your disability-related expenditure online

Tell us by email or post

Fill in the form and send it to us, along with proof of the amount you pay, by email or post:

How to get a financial assessment

You do not need to apply for a financial assessment. We'll do a financial assessment for you when you get chargeable social care services.

After a financial assessment

After a financial assessment, we'll send you:

• details about how much you'll need to pay each week
• a full explanation of the calculation
• information about how to pay the contribution.

List of chargeable adult social care services

If you need help or advice

You can contact us if you want to talk about your charges or have any questions:

We provide community-based social care services for adults. We do this by working with the Renfrewshire Health and Social Care Partnership.

If you’re assessed as eligible for care, you may have to pay something towards that care.

The amount you pay, if anything, depends on your income and how much you have in savings, if you have any. We also consider any costs that you may have for disability-related expenditure.

Who can vote in a UK Parliamentary election

To vote in a UK Parliamentary election, you must:

• be registered to vote
• be aged 18 or older on the day of the election (‘polling day’).
• be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen
• be registered at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter
• not be legally excluded from voting – prisoners serving a sentence for a conviction cannot vote.  

Voter ID  

You’ll need to bring photo identification to a polling station to cast your vote in a UK Parliamentary election.  

Find out more about voter ID and acceptable photo identification.

You do not need to provide photographic identification when voting at a polling station in Scottish Parliamentary or local government (council) elections.   

How MPs are elected

MPs are elected using the first past the post system.  

This means you vote for one candidate in your local area – your constituency.  

The candidate with the most votes is elected as your MP.

When the next UK Parliamentary election will take place

The next UK Parliamentary election must be called by August 2029, but the prime minister can choose to hold it at any point before this. 

Previous UK Parliamentary election results

The most recent UK Parliamentary election took place on Thursday 4 July 2024.

See the results of the UK Parliamentary election 2024.

See more previous election results. 

UK Parliamentary elections, also known as general elections, must be held within approximately 5 years of the previous general election.

When you vote in a UK Parliamentary election, you’re voting for a Member of Parliament (MP) for the UK House of Commons.  

There are 650 MPs elected across the UK – Scotland has 57 of these.

Renfrewshire is represented by 2 MPs, covering 2 constituencies:

• Paisley and Renfrewshire North  
• Paisley and Renfrewshire South.

Find which constituency you live in (Boundaries Scotland).

MPs represent you in the UK Parliament.

They consider and propose new laws on issues that the UK Parliament controls. 

Who can vote in a Scottish Parliamentary election

To vote in a Scottish Parliamentary election, you must:

• be registered to vote
• be aged 16 or older on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
• be registered at an address in the area you want to vote in

You must also you must be one of the following:

• a British citizen
• an Irish citizen
• a foreign national of another country who is permitted to enter or stay in the UK. 

How MSPs are elected

In Scotland, MSPs are elected using the additional member system (ASM).  

ASM is a form of proportional representation. This is an electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for each party.

This means you have 2 votes:

• one for a constituency MSP
• one for a regional MSP

Constituency MSPs

You can vote for an MSP to represent your local area – called a constituency.

There are 3 Scottish Parliamentary constituencies within Renfrewshire:

• Paisley
• Renfrewshire North and Cardonald
• Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley.

Find your constituency (Boundaries Scotland).

Regional MSPs

You can vote for a Scottish party or independent candidate to represent your region.

Renfrewshire is part of the West of Scotland region.

Previous Scottish Parliamentary election results

The most recent Scottish Parliamentary election took place on 7 May 2026.  

See the results of the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026.

See more previous election results. 

Scottish Parliamentary elections take place at least every 5 years.

When you vote in a Scottish Parliamentary election, you’re voting for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).

There are 129 elected MSPs in total.

Scotland is divided into 8 electoral regions for a Scottish Parliamentary election. A region is a larger area which covers several constituencies.

You are represented by 8 MSPs:

• 1 MSP who represents your local area – known as a constituency MSP  
• 7 MSPs who represent the larger area that includes your constituency – known as regional MSPs.

MSPs consider and propose new laws on issues that the Scottish Parliament controls.  

Find out more about Scotland's powers (Scottish Parliament).

Who can vote in a local government election

To vote in a local government election, you must:

• be registered to vote
• be aged 16 or older on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
• be registered at an address in the area you want to vote in.

You must also you must be one of the following:

• a British citizen
• an Irish citizen
• a foreign national of another country who is permitted to enter or stay in the UK. 

How councillors are elected

In Scotland, councillors are elected using the single transferable vote (STV) system.  

This is where you rank the candidates in order of preference.

On your ballot paper, you’ll be asked to number the candidates in the order of your preference. You do this by putting 1, 2, 3 and so on in the box next to each one.

You can do this for all the people you want to vote for. You do not have to put a number beside every candidate if you do not want to.

Councillors are then elected through a mathematical process based on how they are ranked by voters.

Find out more about the process and how the votes are counted (Electoral Commission). 

When the next local government election will take place

The next local government election is expected to take place in May 2027. 

Previous local government election results

Polling for the most recent local government election 2022 took place on Thursday 5 May 2022.

See the results of the local government elections 2022.

See more previous election results. 

Local government elections take place at least every 5 years.

This is when you vote to elect councillors in Renfrewshire who will represent your views for the wards, or geographic area, where you live.

There could also be an election known as a by-election in a specific area if a councillor steps down or needs to be replaced.

There are:

• 12 electoral wards in Renfrewshire
• 43 elected councillors.

Each electoral ward has either 3 or 4 councillors.

Find which ward you live in (Boundaries Scotland).

You can search for your local councillor by postcode, party or ward on the Renfrewshire Committees and Councillors website. 

Acceptable forms of voter ID

The name on your photographic identification should be the same name that you used to register to vote.

Acceptable photo identification includes:  

• passport
• driving licence, including provisional licences  
• Scottish National Entitlement card - issued for the purpose of concessionary travel  
• Blue Badge  
• Older Person’s Bus Pass
• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
• identity card with Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) hologram, for example a Young Scot card  
• biometric immigration document
• defence identity card.

You only need to show one form of identification, but it needs to be the original and not a photocopy or digital version.

Your photographic identification does not need to have a gender marker.  

Your identification can be expired, as long as you still look like the photo. 

If you do not have photographic identification

If you do not have an acceptable form of photographic identification, you can apply for a free voter authority certificate.

This is a paper document with your photo on it that you can use to prove your identity when voting in an election.

Before you apply for a voter authority certificate

You need to be registered to vote before you apply for a voter authority certificate. 

You can apply for a free voter authority certificate during the registration process.

When you apply for a voter authority certificate, you’ll need to provide:

• your name
• address
• date of birth
• a digital photo of yourself
• National Insurance number.

If do not know your National Insurance number, you can still apply, but the elections team or Electoral Registration Office will contact you to ask for a different proof of your identity. 

How to apply for a voter authority certificate

Online

Apply for a free voter authority certificate online (GOV.UK)

By post

You can also apply for a voter authority certificate by post.

Download and fill in the paper form (GOV.UK).

Then post the form to your electoral registration office at:

Electoral Registration Officer  
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board  
Renfrewshire House  
Cotton Street  
Paisley  
PA1 1BF

You can get a paper application form from the Electoral Registration Office.

Voting by post

If you vote by post, you do not need to provide voter ID.

Find out more about voting by post. 

Voting by proxy

If your proxy votes on your behalf at the polling station, they’ll be asked to show their photographic identification.

They will not be asked to show any ID for you.

Find out more about voting by proxy.

More information

Find out more about voter ID (GOV.UK). 

You’ll need to show photographic identification at a polling station to cast your vote in a UK Parliamentary election.

You do not need to provide photographic identification when voting at a polling station in Scottish Parliamentary or local government (council) elections. 

Council services

The best way to contact us about one of our services is by visiting the service’s page on our website.

Many services have their own online forms, phone numbers, and email addresses. Contacting us by using the contact details on a service’s website page – rather than by contacting our customer service team – is usually the quickest way to get information and support.

Find a service’s website page by using the website’s search bar or looking for it in one of these service categories:

• bins and recycling
• council tax
• benefits and money
• registrations
• housing
• adult care and health
• education, schools and adult learning
• children, young people and families
• community and neighbourhood
• planning and land
• parking, roads and transport
• business and licensing
• parks, libraries and culture
• jobs, careers and volunteering.

Customer service team

You can contact our customer service team if you cannot find the service or information you’re looking for on our website.

When you phone our customer service number, you’ll be speaking to Millie, our digital phone assistant. If Millie is not able to answer your questions, you’ll be connected to one of our customer service advisers instead.

Our phone advisors are available:

• Monday to Thursday from 8:45am to 4:45pm
• Friday from 8:45am to 3:55pm.

Contact our customer service team:

Languages other than English

Gaelic (Gàidhlig)

We welcome people contacting us in Gaelic.

You can also translate our website using Google Translate (Google Translate website).

Bidh sinn daonnan a' cur fàilte air conaltradh sam bith ann an Gàidhlig.

’S urrainn dhuibh cuideachd ar làrach-lìn eadar-theangachadh ma chleachdas sibh Google Eadar-theangaich (làrach-lìn Google Eadar-theangaich).
 

British Sign Language

You can ask Contact Scotland BSL about their free BSL video interpreting service (Contact Scotland BSL website) if you need to speak to us in British Sign Language (BSL).

Other languages

You can use free, online translation services – such as Google Translate (Google Translate website) – if you need to email us in another language.

You can also translate our website using Google Translate (Google Translate website).

Alternative formats

Phone our customer service team on 0300 300 0330 if you need information in another format, such as Braille or large print.

Elected officials

Find out how to contact councillors, council boards, and the provost.

Feedback and complaints

If you’d like to give us feedback on our services, contact us by phone, email, or post.

Find out how to make a complaint about one of our services.