Housing Grants
General Information
Council's have a strong commitment to assist in improving the
quality of private sector housing through a policy of rehabilitation
and improvement of sub-tolerable and unfit homes through the Housing
Grants Scheme.
Responsibility for the administration and processing of private
sector grant applications lies with Building Standards staff.
The grants available for the private sector can be divided into
four principal categories: improvement grants; improvement grants
for disabled; repairs grants; and
repairs grants for lead pipe replacement.
Except for a few specific cases grant aid is at the discretion
of the Council.
Further Information
- To apply for a grant will require a completed application
form, to be returned to your Council's Building Standards
office along with two detailed estimates, a specification of
the work, scaled drawings, where required, and the Title Deeds
or a copy of the last Disposition for the property.
- Depending on the nature of the work to be done, Building Warrant
and/or a Planning Permission may have to be obtained from the
Council.
- Any grant aided works must be carried out to the satisfaction
of the Council which will involve periodic inspections by Building
Standards staff.
- Houses built less than 10 years ago do not qualify for grant
except where the improvement is for the accommodation, welfare
or employment of a disabled person.
- The applicant must be the owner of the house or the lessee.
If the applicant is not the occupier of the house the occupier's
consent to the proposed improvements should be obtained before
making the application (in general a landlord may not carry
out improvements without the consent of the tenant). If the
house is security for a loan, eg. a mortgage, the Building Society
or other lender should be notified of the application for grant.
A copy of any necessary letter of consent should be attached
to the application.
- If approved, the payment of grant will be subject to the following
conditions which will apply to the house for a period of five
years from the date of the payment of grant;
- the house shall not be used for purposes other than
those of a private dwelling house;
- the house shall not be occupied by the owner or a member
of his family except as his only or main residence;
- in addition the Council may impose the following condition:
the house at all times when it is not occupied by the
applicant or by a member of his family will be let or kept available
for letting.
If any of these conditions are breached, the Council
may demand the repayment of the grant either in part of in full
together with compound interest at a statutory fixed rate for
the period the grant has been in the hands of the applicant.
- If after the application is approved, the Council are satisfied
that owing to circumstances beyond the control of the applicant
the expense of the works will exceed the estimate contained
in the application, they may on production of a further estimate
substitute a higher amount as the amount of the approved expense.
The Council's policy and the Scottish system for administering
housing grants is subject to change and it is always important
to contact Building Standards to discuss your proposals before
an application is submitted.
Please note that if any grant work starts before a grant application
is approved the Council will not be able to give grant.
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