Keeping a house or flat in good condition is mainly the responsibility of the owner. It is in their interest to make sure that necessary repairs and improvements are carried out to keep the home in good condition and maintain its value.
You will get information on this webpage about what works are eligible for grant, who can apply for a grant, how much grant you could get, and how to apply for a grant.
Grants for Improvements and Repairs to Property
Highland Council operates a number of grant schemes, under a framework set by legislation, to help people living in owner-occupier or privately rented housing to meet the costs of having their homes repaired, improved or adapted to meet their needs.
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Improvement and Repair Grants for Below Tolerable Standard (BTS) Properties
Generally Repair and Improvement grants are made available at the Council’s discretion to bring privately owned property, which is assessed as being Below the Tolerable Standard (BTS), back into good condition and permanent residential use for at least 5 years after the grant is paid.
Legislation sets out the tolerable standard, which a home must meet to be fit for people to live in. A house meets the tolerable standard if:
- it is structurally stable
- it is free from rising or penetrating damp
- it has satisfactory access to all external doors and outbuildings
- it has satisfactory lighting
- heating
- ventilation
- drinking water supply
- cooking facilities
- drainage, for rainwater and from kitchen and bathroom fittings
A house must also have all the standard amenities, which are:
- a fixed bath or shower
- a wash-hand basin
- a sink
- all with hot and cold water supply, and
- a toilet
Highland Council can give grants for any work to bring a house up to the tolerable standard or put it in a good state of repair. Grant assistance is not available for routine repair and maintenance work, such as repainting window frames or replacing worn fixtures.
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Improvement and Repair Grants for Other Work
Highland Council may also give grants for the following types of work, beyond the basic tolerable standard:
- Replacing unsafe electrical wiring.
- Installing mains-powered smoke detectors.
- Providing insulation if part of more extensive works.
- Replacing lead water pipes.
- Reducing exposure to radon gas.
- In a building in common ownership (such as a block of flats), installing a fire-retardant door at the entrance to each house.
- Installing a main-door entry-phone system.
- Converting another type of building to housing
making a house suitable for the needs of a disabled person who lives there, e.g. adequate heating or level access shower.
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Does the Council have to give me a grant?
In most cases it is at the Council's discretion either to approve or reject an application.
However, for the following types of work the Council must give you a grant (within the limits of its budget):
- Installing any standard amenities (as listed above) where the house does not already have them.
- Installing any additional standard amenities which are needed because a disabled occupant cannot use the existing ones.
- Any work which the Council requires you to do by issuing a statutory notice or order on the property.
There are three situations in which the Council might do this:
- If the house does not meet the tolerable standard, they can serve an Improvement Order requiring you to bring it up to the standard.
- If the house is in a serious state of disrepair if no work is done, they can serve a Repair Notice requiring you to fix what is wrong. If a Repair Notice is served on a building which includes business premises as well as houses (for example, flats with shops on the ground floor), the businesses can also get grants.
- If the house is occupied by more than one family, they may serve an order requiring you to provide a fire escape.
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Who can apply for a grant?
It should be the owner of the property who applies for a grant for repairs or improvements, except in the case of:
- Agricultural and crofting tenants (who are treated as owners in relation to grants)
- Tenants in some cases, depending on the type of works and the terms of their lease.
- Life renters if they are responsible for the planned works.
- Disabled people for works to adapt their home to meet their needs.
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What rules and conditions are attached to any grant?
- The house must have been built, or converted to a house, more than 10 years before the date you apply for a grant.
- You may still get a grant for work on a house less than 10 years old to put in standard amenities, or make the house suitable for a disabled person.
- The Highland Council must be satisfied that, after the works have been done, the house will meet the tolerable standard and be in good state of repair. This may mean that you have to fix other problems, as well as the work you originally planned.
- You must not start the work before your application for a grant has been officially approved in writing. You cannot apply for a grant to pay for works you have already done.
- If you are not the owner of the house, the owner must agree to you applying for a grant.
- After the grant is paid, three conditions apply to the house for 5 years. (1) It must be used as a private dwelling house (although part may be used for business purposes). (2) If the owner or a member of their family occupies the house, it must be their main home. (3) The house must be kept in good repair, as far as possible.
The owner must agree to be bound by these conditions, which will be recorded on the title of the house. There is a charge for doing this, which the Highland Council will usually take out of the grant awarded to you.
If any of the conditions are not met the Highland Council can require that you repay all of the grant, with interest. If you repay the grant, plus interest, to the Council at any time within the 5 year period, the conditions will cease to apply. If you sell your house within the 5 year period, you do not have to repay the grant, but the conditions will apply to the new owner until the end of the 5 year period.
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How much grant could I get?
This depends on which of the following categories applies to you.
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If you are an owner occupier, tenant or disabled occupant
If the Council agree that you get a grant for the work you want to do, they then work out how much you should get. If you are an Owner/Occupier, tenant or disabled occupant the amount of grant you can get is based on three elements:
- the cost of the work
- applicants contribution
- any minimum percentage grant which may apply
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Cost of Work
First, the Council needs to know how much the eligible work will cost. When you apply for a grant, you will need to provide detailed descriptions of the work to be done and at least 2 estimates of the cost. The costs of professional fees for drawing up plans and specifications, and VAT, are eligible for grant assistance.
The Council will require more than one estimate, to prove the price is competitive. The Council will check that all the work is eligible for grant.
The Highland Council can give grants of up to £20,000 in total for eligible work. In exceptional circumstances they can apply to the Scottish Executive to go beyond this limit if there are good reasons for the extra cost but it is entirely at the discretion of the Council. In exceptional circumstances they may also raise the amount after the work has started, for example if other problems are found once the work is under way.
If any grants have been paid for work on the same house in the past 10 years, the amount of grant you can get for a new application may be reduced.
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Applicant’s Contribution
To make sure that an appropriate level of grant is offered, an assessment is made to calculate how much should be contributed by all the people who should help maintain the house. The assessment applies to:
- The applicant and their partners and any other joint owners and their partners.
- A private tenant who is eligible for grant.
- A disabled occupant, or the parent/guardian of a disabled child.
If you or your partner receive Income support, Income-based Jobseekers’ Allowance, or the Guaranteed element of Pension Credit, you are assessed as having no applicable income.
The Scottish Executive have produced a ready reckoner (offsite link) to show how much grant you may be able to get.
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If you are a landlord, developer or non-resident owner
If neither you nor a member of your family lives in the property or you intend to convert a commercial property into a house, three elements require to be determined:
- A valuation of the property reflecting the condition of the property at time of application.
- A valuation of the property if all the proposed works were to have been carried out on the same date.
- the approved expense of the grant eligible works.
Valuations will be carried out by the District Valuer and there will be a charge for this work.
The Council is unable to provide a grant if the increase in value of the property exceeds the approved expense.
If the increase in value is less than the approved expense, the grant is based on the difference. There is a minimum grant of 20%.
Grant is increased by 20% for each of the following criteria, where works:
- Provide additional housing by conversion or bringing back into use housing which has been empty for at least two years.
- Bring property up to the Tolerable standard.
- Are part of a refurbishment scheme.
- Relate to common parts of a building where there is shared responsibility.
- Are carried out by a non-profit making housing provider, e.g Registered Social Landlord or charity.
- Significantly increase the accessibility of a house for a disabled person.
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Minimum Percentage Grants
For some works, you will receive a minimum percentage grant of 50% even if you would normally be expected to contribute more than 50% of the costs of the works. If, on approval of grant, you are entitled to more than 50%, you will get the higher amount. This rule is intended to encourage people to carry out essential work and work to common parts of a building.
The works to which minimum percentage grant applies are:
- Any of the works for which Councils must give a grant.
- Bringing a house up to the tolerable standard.
- Making a house suitable for the accommodation, welfare or employment of a disabled person who lives, or plans to live there.
- Any works to the common parts of a building in common ownership.
- Replacing lead plumbing.
- Reducing exposure to radon gas.
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How do I apply for a grant?
Contact your local Environmental Health Office (part of the Highland Council's TEC Services) who will arrange to visit you, carry out an assessment of the grant-eligible improvement works required and explain the application process, etc.
You must not start the work on the house before the Council has approved your grant application in writing. If you start work before your application is approved, the Council may not be able to give you a grant.
You may also need planning permission or building warrants from the Council for the work. These are separate from grant approval and you should not start work until you have all the permissions or warrants that may be required. You can get further information from the Planning and Building Control page
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Central Heating and Insulation
There is a wide range of advice, grants and loans available to help make your house warmer and more energy efficient. Grants may be available from the government, from your local Council or from your electricity or gas company. The Highland Energy Efficiency Advice Centre can give advice on what help is available. You can also contact them on freephone: 0800 512012
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What other help is available?
Adaptations For Older People and for People With Disabilities
Help and financial assistance is available for older people and for people with disabilities to enable them to stay in their own homes. Please go to the Equipment and Adaptations page for further information.
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Care and Repair
Help For Older People and for People with Disabilities
Care and Repair runs projects throughout the Highlands to help people over 60, or younger people with disabilities, to deal with repairs to their homes. For more information, please go to the Care and Repair page.
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Handy Person Scheme
The Handyperson Scheme has been established to assist elderly people to retain their independence carrying out a wide range of minor household repairs which are too small for a tradesperson and which are of a one-off kind.
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Historic Buildings
A repair grant may be available from Historic Scotland for the repair of buildings which are considered to be of outstanding historic or architectural interest, or are located in an outstanding conservation area.
Further information is available from Historic Scotland (Heritage Grants Branch), Longmore House, Salisbury Place, Edinburgh EH9 1SH Tel: 0131 668 8801 Fax: 0131 668 8788 e-mail: hs.grants@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
If the building is listed, you should contact the local planning authority to check whether listed building consent is required before work can be carried out.
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