Housing and Homelessness
Online Guides & Resources
Citizens Advice provide a wide resource of advice, information and guidance relating to housing and homelessness issues at the following link:
Housing Resources – Citizens Advice Scotland
Money map | Citizens Advice Scotland
Housing issues can always arise and therefore it’s important to know your rights and responsibilities. You may also find yourself threatened with eviction if you can’t cope with your mortgage or rent payments.
Dumfries & Galloway Citizens Advice Service offers advice on many aspects of housing, from rental problems through to homelessness. Our specialist housing advisers are fully-trained and here to help. We can provide information about how to go about renting or buying a home or simply finding somewhere to live.
We can also advise on handling problems with your landlord and help to avoid losing your home.
Citizens Advice
Housing issues will always arise and therefore you need to know your rights and responsibilities. You could also find yourself threatened with eviction if you can’t cope with your mortgage payments.
On these pages you can find information about how to go about renting or buying a home or just finding somewhere to live. You can also find advice on handling problems with your landlord and help to avoid losing your home.
Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme
The Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme helps people on low income to secure private rented accommodation by offering landlords a written guarantee in place of a cash deposit.
Update
The Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme is currently suspended and no longer taking new applications. Please contact the Housing Options Team on 01387 260783 for further information and advice.
Trusted Trader Scheme
Our Trusted Trader scheme helps you to choose a reputable trader from customer feedback.
The scheme is currently aimed mainly at home improvement traders. The traders are reviewed by customers as well as checked and monitored by us to make sure they’re trading legally.
Private Residential Tenancies
Notice to Leave
A ‘Notice to Leave’ is a notice which formally allows the landlord to start proceedings for possession of a tenant’s home. Some tenants may call it an eviction notice.
If your landlord wants to evict you, they must follow the correct procedure and give you the correct notice. Upon receiving a valid notice from the landlord, they must state the grounds for repossession.
We can assist you by checking the Notice to Leave is legal and in keeping with the terms and conditions on your tenancy agreement and the landlord have used the correct grounds.
The Notice to Leave must take the shape of a completed form that is titled ‘Landlord’s notice to a tenant to leave under section 50(1)(a) of the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016’. The landlord must issue this notice if they want to evict you.
Contact us if you are unsure if the notice is legal.
Local Housing Associations
Home Energy Scotland Fund Finder
Making your home more efficient can help lower your energy bills, but the upfront cost of improvements like insulation or heating often puts people off.
The good news is, Home Energy Scotland can help with that. We’ll let you know what funding is available to you – you might be able to spread the cost with an interest-free loan, or get a grant to cover much needed home improvements.
Homelessness
You may be eligible for help under homelessness law if you homeless, or threatened with homelessness. Homelessness doesn’t only mean not having a roof over your head. You can be homeless because you are, for example, living in unsuitable accommodation, or living apart from the rest of their family or sofa surfing on a friend’s couch.
If you believe you have to leave your accommodation, for example, because your landlord has asked you to leave, or because you are having difficulties making rent or mortgage payments, you may be able to stay in your current home. The assistance we can give you can include:
- advice about maximising income
- checking your current housing status, and their right to notice and/or a possession order
- negotiation with your landlord or mortgage lender
You are entitled to housing advice from the Local Council to look at your current housing situation.
You can contact the Housing Options Team in the Homeless Dept
- Annan: 01461 207019 between 9am – 5pm Mon-Fri
- Dumfries: 01387 260783 between 9am – 5pm Mon-Fri
- Kirkcudbright: 01557 332234 between 9am – 5pm Mon-Fri
- Stranraer: 01776 888312 between 9am – 5pm Mon-Fri
who will give advice and assistance on any housing matters you may have.
Out of Hours Emergency Homeless Tel: 01387 273660 (after 5pm or weekend / bank holidays) to access Emergency Homeless Accommodation (for those homeless tonight).
Dealing with damp and mould
Damp and mould can affect your health, especially if you have asthma, allergies or respiratory problems. The NHS has more information on how damp and mould affects your health.
If you rent your home, your landlord must do repairs to prevent damp and mould. Get help from the council’s environmental health team if your landlord will not deal with it.
Your landlord’s responsibilities
Your landlord should deal with damp or mould caused by structural or repair problems, including:
- leaks in the roof
- cracks or holes in walls
- rotting window or door frames
- lack of ventilation or poor ventilation in your home
- water coming into your home from the ground
To help prevent damp and mould, your landlord must also make sure your home has an adequate heating system.
If you rent privately, this must be a fixed heating system that’s plumbed in or hard wired. It cannot just be a plug-in or portable heater.
More info: Shelter Repairs Information
Getting your landlord to deal with damp and mould
Report damp, mould and all repairs to your landlord.
Your landlord should do the repairs and deal with damp and mould in a reasonable amount of time. There is usually no set time for the repairs to be done.
You can tell your landlord what you think is reasonable and then ask them to agree to it.
To decide what you think is reasonable, ask yourself:
- whether it’s an emergency
- what effect it’s having on you
- how long is fair and realistic for your landlord to fix the problem
You must report the issue to your landlord as soon as you find a problem.
If you have a private tenancy, follow Shelter’s guidance on reporting repairs if you rent from a private landlord or letting agent.
If you have a social tenancy, follow Shelter’s guidance on reporting repairs if you rent from the council or a housing association.
If your landlord will not deal with it
What can I do?:
Private Landlord: if you rent from a Private Landlord you must write to them first, listing the repairs required – if they do not carry out the repairs then you must apply to the Property Chamber First Tier Tribunal.
Repairs Application and Guidance | Housing and Property Chamber – You can also contact the Local Landlord Registration Team in the Council who will give you advice.
landlordregistration@dumgal.gov.uk or telephoning 01387 273164 You can also use Shelter’s letter template.
Letting Agent: as above.
Housing Association: Complain to the Housing Association in writing– then if they fail to do the repairs, you can then submit a Formal Complaint to them – if the issue is still not resolved, then complain to the Ombudsman.
Your responsibilities
Check for signs of damp and mould. These can be:
- a damp and musty smell
- mould or mildew on walls, floors or ceilings
- walls, floors or ceilings that feel cold or damp
- dark or discoloured patches on walls or plaster
- lifting or peeling wallpaper
- excessive condensation on windows
Preventing damp and mould
Cooking, showering and drying clothes creates extra moisture in your home.
To reduce this, it helps to:
- cover pans when cooking
- use extractor fans in kitchens and bathrooms
- close internal doors when you cook or shower
- dry clothes outdoors or use a vented tumble dryer
- open bedroom windows for 5 to 10 minutes when you get up
Heating your home a little also helps. A low temperature of at least 15 degrees in all rooms can prevent damp and mould.
If you’re struggling to heat your home, contact Home Energy Scotland for advice and support.
Speak to us in person.