Housing Options Guide 3b
3b. Home improvements for occupied private housing
Most people want to stay in their own home for as long as possible but may need help if there are problems with an old or unsuitable home. Although the responsibility for maintaining a privately owned property should lie with the owner, our Scheme of Assistance aims to improve the condition of housing in Moray. We can give free advice to home owners and private tenants, and in some cases may be able to offer grant assistance and practical help
Scheme of Assistance
Our Scheme of Assistance offers free advice and help to home owners and private tenants who wish to carry out home alterations, repairs, adaptations and improvements. This allows them to live comfortably and independently for as long as possible in their own home. Organising and financing building and repair work can be a complicated and stressful experience but we can help to ease the burden.
We can offer a Care and Repair service to home owners and private tenants who are over the age of sixty or who have a disability. This service can help them to have their homes improved, repaired or adapted. Housing grant assistance may be available for specific works for those who are on low incomes or have a disability. Under the Care and Repair service we can:
- Offer help by discussing what improvements, repairs or adaptations are needed;
- Help to get estimates from reputable contractors, and arrange for plans to be produced if needed;
- Make sure the work is finished to an acceptable standard; and
- Help with paperwork, including filling in a housing grant application.
Improvement grants for disabled adapations
We have a mandatory duty under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 to assist a disabled applicant to adapt their property to suit their particular needs.
We recognise that, although the responsibility of maintaining a home lies with the owner, there are additional burdens to be faced by those living with a disability. To reflect this, any assistance we provide will be tailored to suit the needs of the individual.
Disability-related work is not restricted to work to assist those with physical disabilities. It can encompass a wider range of people and includes those with mental health problems and frail elderly members of the community. We will provide financial and non-financial assistance to disabled owner occupiers, occupiers and private tenants to help them to remain in their own homes for as long as possible. However, it may be that the existing property is wholly unsuitable for adaptation and the best course of action may be a move to alternative accommodation. Section 5 of our housing options guide has more information on housing options for people with disabilities.
Adaptations to a house can be of real benefit to someone with a disability, however they are only one of a number of other possible solutions available. It is therefore important that anyone seeking any type of disability-related adaptation or assistance with any housing related issues should make contact with:
- our Housing Needs Team for advice on housing options (housing@moray.gov.uk or 0300 123 4566)
and - the Community Occupational Therapy Team.
Trusted Trader Scheme
The Moray Trusted Trader scheme is a local business partnership scheme aimed at increasing consumer confidence, promoting good practice within local business and helping protect citizens from doorstep crime.
Trading Standards Trusted Traders have been vetted by Moray Trading Standards and the scheme is supported by Police Scotland and consumeradvice.scot (a part of Advice Direct Scotland).
More information
Contact our Home Improvement Team:
Phone: 0300 1234 566