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Social renters SIX TIMES less satisfied than private renters - survey

Six times as many social renters in one part of the UK are dissatisfied with their homes compared to private renters according to part of the fast-growing Lomond Group of agencies. 

Analysis of the latest Scottish Household survey by DJ Alexander Ltd, part of the Lomond Group, shows 12 per cent of social renters are very/fairly dissatisfied with their housing compared to just two per cent in the private rented sector.

The Scottish Government’s ‘A New Deal for Tenants’ consultation paper states that: “It is acknowledged in this draft Strategy that the private rented sector has further to travel than the social sector and therefore the weight of policy proposals where views are being sought, are for the private rented sector.”

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David Alexander, chief executive of DJ Alexander Scotland, says: “While the Scottish Government may feel that ‘the private rented sector has further to travel than the social sector’ it is clear from the views of tenants that they disagree. Six times as many tenants in the social sector are dissatisfied with their housing which is equivalent to around one in eight Scots being unhappy with their living conditions.”

He continues: “I think everyone involved in property has the strongest desire to ensure that people live in homes in which they feel safe, secure, and comfortable. Whether this is in a home they own, in a private rented property, or in social housing, I believe we are all committed to improving the lives of everyone and their living environment.

“Unfortunately, this consultation paper does not appear to want to address the issues arising across all parts of the rental sector but is intent on focusing mainly on the private rented sector despite this survey highlighting that a great deal of work needs to be done to improve the lives of tenants in social housing.”

 

Alexander wants everyone involved in the delivery and implementation of this consultation paper to focus on improving homes for tenants as a whole rather than pursuing politically motivated policies targeting the private sector. 

“The Scottish Government must understand that landlords in the private rented sector have options and attempts to punish them and reduce the viability of their investment could result in many property investors and landlords leaving the market. With 340,000 households in the PRS it would take the Scottish Government, under their present home building target of 10,000 new houses a year, 34 years to replace the existing properties provided by the private sector and that is assuming no increase in the population” he says..

And he concludes: “We need a moderate, fair debate about housing, and I hope that the Scottish government will respond reasonably to all providers of homes in Scotland to produce a better deal for all tenants regardless of whether it is in the private or social sector.”

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    Why let an inconvenient truth get in the way of anti LL policy?

  • Suzy OShea

    This is hardly surprising since the rents in social housing are cheaper than in the PRS, with the consequent drop in quality of housing and service to sort out repairs! You only get what you pay for in life. You can't expect the service at the Ritz if you are only paying for a Premier Inn.

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    I would moan more about things at the Ritz because my expectations would be higher.

    Those with spam budgets shouldn't expect fillet steak and need to be given a reality check..

     
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    Total codswallop. The opinions here are a perfect indictment of the ignorance and stupidity of the average small landlord. I've lived in 4 social properties and over a dozen private ones. My mum and sister live in social properties today. I've worked in hundreds, if not thousands of social and private rented properties over the past 25 years, across multiple areas and authorities. The standard, generally speaking, is way higher in social properties. Councils and housing associations are run by bureaucrats, and compliance is high on their agenda. The average private landlord is so ignorant around maintenance and compliance it's laughable.

     
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    I know we're meant to recycle but rubbish like above should just be binned and not reposted ad nauseam.

    I had to fix a kitchen blind last week, which meant climbing on to a small step ladder on the kitchen worktop. It took about 10 minutes. A council jobsworth would have done a risk assessment, gone out to tender for hiring scaffolding, gone out to tender for a tradesman and eventually scheduled the tradesman to do the work, probably to find the scaffolding hadn't been correctly installed.

    Sheer common sense dictates "small" landlords adopting a pragmatic can do approach will always outperform bureaucracy in the social sector, coupled with generally more responsible tenants who respect decent properties more.

     
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    • 10 February 2022 08:19 AM

    The parasites always moaning. Typical.

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    Social housing tends to be on large council estates with many very unpleasant people living next door.

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    I had three unpleasant people living with me once, then they turned 20, became human again and eventually moved out

     
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    Max Boyne
    Who are you? A lot of council estates are known as sink estates, and I am aware of some estates being pulled down due to too much trouble. (Like pubs with a bad reutation). Obviously the councils wont admit that. How many prospective tenants tell me that their are living in a council property with neighbours from hell! Look at how may tower blocks are pulled down !

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    It’s all bureaucracy as said all those guys in suits make rules for us, we are hands on Landlords we live and breath it with a passion. Those guys never done it never will do it and couldn’t, yet they are there making the rules and calling all the shots. I see first class trades or professional people doing their job for 40 years but now have do regular repeat Courses to learn how to do it or learn what someone has dreamt up that can’t do it themselves. Its a bit like Landlord Accreditation Schemes now making it almost compulsory even though we were doing it before some were born, they’ll know best like the Mayor getting rid of Chief of Police, he should have say in the matter or allowed to interfere with the law and should resign.

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