Welcome to the Housing section of the Highland Council website.
Please note you can get information on housing through the Service Centre (tel: 01349 886606), any Highland Council Service Point or by contacting the Housing and Property offices for your area.
Highland Housing Strategy
We are currently consulting on Highland's Housing Strategy Consultative Draft 2 which sets out the approaches which will take over the next 5 years to tackle Highland’s many different housing issues. This includes our priorities for using Highland’s resources including those for building new affordable houses.
Your views on the Consultative Draft Housing Strategy are valuable to us. They will help us understand whether changes need to be made to our approach. Please take the time to complete the online survey. You can also send us comments, by email to housingandproperty@highland.gov.uk. Please send us your views by Friday 23rd April 2010.
This Strategy was informed by an assessment of housing need and demand in the different areas of Highland.
The proposals were developed in consultation with people across Highland – this Housing Strategy Survey Report includes a summary of their views.
If you would like to talk to someone about any aspect of the Housing Strategy, please contact Hilary Parkey, Housing Strategy Officer, e-mail: Hilary.parkey@highland.gov.uk
Previous Consultations
Thanks to all those who contributed their views on the following topics:
News for Highland Council Tenants
Pay your rent by Direct Debit 
We are happy to announce that as from August 2009 the Highland Council can offer tenants the choice of paying their rent by Direct Debit. If you would like to take advantage of this convenient way to pay, please complete the Direct Debit Manate Form (Word) and return it to us.
What are the advantages of paying by Direct Debit?
- It is cheap and convenient – no car parking costs, bus fares or postage and no queuing at Service Points or cash offices!
- It’s safe - you are covered by the Direct Debit Guarantee - we cannot by law take money from your bank account without giving you 14 days notice of the first payment and any subsequent changes to payments. You are protected by the Banks’ Indemnity Scheme and if an error arises, you will receive a full refund.
- You can budget your rent payments either weekly or with equal monthly payments across the year and choose your payment dates.
- Your rent is paid automatically and on time - no need to remember when to pay and once set up the arrangement will then continue from year to year.
You can also pay Garage, Garage Site and Land rents using Direct Debit, as well as your Highland Council Home Contents Insurance premiums – just complete a separate form for each account.
Return completed forms to:
The Highland Council
Housing & Property Services
Glenurquhart Road
INVERNESS
IV3 5NX
Home Contents Insurance
You can now apply for low cost home contents insurance over the phone!
Apply for instant cover over the telephone now by calling the Council on Freephone 0800 276 1018
Notice for Landlords and Creditors
From 1 April 2009, all landlords who raise proceedings in a court of law to recover possession of their property from their tenants have by law to inform their local authority. This also applies to creditors who raise notices or proceedings to eject owners who are in default with their mortgages. You can get more information on the Guidance to landlords and creditors page
Homelessness Strategy
We have consulted on Highland's 3rd Homelessness Strategy, which sets out our proposed approach for tackling homelessness. You can view the summary and action plan on the Homelessness Strategy, Procedures and Reports page.
Thanks to eveyone who took the time to give us their views.
Highland Housing Register
The six main providers of rented accommodation in the Highlands have joined forces to make it easier for applicants on housing waiting lists to access housing. The Highland Council together with the five housing associations operating in the Highlands - Albyn, Cairn, Lochaber, Lochalsh & Skye and Pentland - have produced a single housing register, which is now fully operational.
This means that people who want to be housed by the partners in the Highland Housing Register in the Highlands only have to fill in a single form. Previously applicants had to complete separate Housing Application Forms for each landlord.
For more information on this, you can go to the Highland Housing Register page.
Highland Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme
This scheme is aimed at households who are homeless and on a low income and would find it difficult to raise the rent deposit which is required by private landlords, prior to the tenancy starting. This may mean that they are unable to rent privately. The Highland Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme (HRDGS) can provide the ‘guarantee’ of a rent deposit to get over this difficulty.
The scheme is managed by The Highland Housing and Community Care Trust and Albyn Housing Society Limited and is funded by The Highland Council.
You can get more information on the scheme from the Albyn Housing Society website - Rent Deposit Guarantee Scheme.
Housing Information
You can link below to information on:
- council housing - information for tenants and prospective tenants
- finding housing - what to do to find housing in Highland and the various housing options that exist
- homelessness - what you can do if you are homeless or fear that you will become homeless
- housing development - to see what new affordable housing is being built across Highland
- housing grants - what financial help may be available to enable you to repair or improve your homes
- housing for older people - what help is available to enable you to continue to live independently, as you grow older
- antisocial behaviour - what we can do to resolve neighbourhood complaints and antisocial behaviour
- private sector housing - information for home owners and tenants of private landlords
- gypsy/travellers - including information on unauthorised camping
- wards - housing information for each of the Council's wards
Our vision is that:
- Everyone in Highland has a warm, affordable and secure home, in good repair, in the community where they want to live.
- The design of their homes should meet their needs.
- They should be able to live in pleasant, secure and thriving communities.
- They should have access to high quality services and support, if necessary, so that they can live there independently.
- They should have the ability to access the same opportunities as everyone else so that they are included in society.
Our aim is to make the housing system work so that people in the Highlands, now and in the future, have a decent place to stay that suits their needs, at a price they can afford.
For further information about our aims and how we are going to achieve them go to:
Finally, if you want more information or advice on any of the topics covered, go to:
If you have a housing emergency outside office hours i.e. if you suddenly become homeless or if you are a council tenant who needs to report an emergency repair, you can phone the Housing Emergency Line: 0845 700 2005.
The Council can also give you valuable advice about saving energy (and money) in your home.
We hope you find this part of the Highland Council website useful and informative. If you wish to speak to us regarding any of the content or if you have any suggestions for ways to improve the site, please use our contact form.