Overview
When landlords complete their Landlord Registration form on the Scottish Government system, they are asked to confirm that they have a number of different certificates in place, but there is no requirement to submit copies of certificates as proof.
From the 1/3/23 the Private Sector Team implemented a pilot scheme to check that all landlords who applied for a new registration or renewed an existing registration had the correct certification. Landlords were contacted and asked to submit copies of the Electrical Condition Installation Report (EICR) and Gas Safety certificates. They were also asked to confirm they had the required Smoke, Heat, and Carbon Monoxide (CO) detection in place.
If a landlord did not engage with these requests, this was followed up by a Third-Party Application to The Housing and Property Chamber, for enforcement action.
Results
The table below outlines what we found from this pilot:
| Property Certificates requested |
To date, non-compliance cases |
Non-compliance % |
| 803 |
366 |
47% |
(1/3/23 - 31/5/24 (15 months))
The following actions were taken in relation to the non-compliance cases:
- Certificates not in place prior to enquiry: 366
- Moved to Action Plans: 204
- Housing Property Chamber applications: 34
47% of Landlords who advised they have valid certificates on their Registration did not hold these.
Outcomes
- Ensures and improves private tenants' safety and interests by ensuring a good property standard
- Helps create a level playing field for landlords
- Due to the number of referrals made as part of this pilot, the Housing and Property Chamber (HPC) now issue Notice of Directions to landlords requesting copies of safety documentation. This has increased efficiencies for both the HPC and the Private Sector Team
- We recently presented the success of this pilot at The Scottish Housing Network Forum. So far, eight Local Authorities have contacted us for further information on our procedure and are considering adopting our process
- Due to the success and outcomes of this pilot, the Private Sector Team are continuing to check Prescribed Information for all new and renewed registrations
Want to know more about renting privately?
A range of information about renting in the private sector and available assistance, can be accessed at Private housing | Falkirk Council, see the Private tenants section.