Social Landlords

Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) provide quality affordable housing for those in housing need. Housing Associations, Housing Co-operatives and Local Housing Companies all fall under the term Registered Social Landlords .

RSLs are non-profit making friendly societies, run by professional staff, but controlled by voluntary management committees.

Communities Scotland, the government's national housing agency, award housing associations grants towards the costs of building homes for rent or shared ownership.

For many years Government policy has seen funds for providing new social rented housing channelled through Registered Social Landlords rather than to provide new Council housing.

Therefore, it is important to recognise that nowadays housing associations and RSLs are the main providers of new and affordable housing opportunities for local people in housing need.

View the Scottish Social Housing Charter

Registered Social Landlords in South Ayrshire

There are around 200 RSLs in Scotland, registered with Scottish Homes. In South Ayrshire, there are 2 local and 6 national and regional R.S.L's who have stock in the area.

The eight RSLs, which operate within South Ayrshire, provide a variety of accommodation types for different client groups. They play a major role to play in achieving the council's targets for dealing with care in the community, community regeneration, homelessness and improving the quality of housing.

Their names, addresses and contact numbers are listed at in the table below, individual RSL profiles are given in the next section.

Each RSL has their own individual allocations' policy and points systems although most are based on some kind of needs assessment. They also provide varying types of accommodation from mainstream housing to amenity & sheltered housing.

Rent charges and service charges in RSLs also vary, an indication of how much you might expect to pay is given in each individual RSL profile in the relevant sections. If you are on a low income, you can apply for Housing Benefit to help towards the cost of your rent. See Housing Benefit & Council Tax reduction for further information on housing Benefit.

Name	Area Address Office	Telephone
Ayrshire Housing (ex. Carrick Housing Ass. & South Ayrshire Homes)	119 Main Street, Ayr. KA8 8BX	01292 880 120
Blue Triangle (Glasgow) Housing Association	Chalmers Court 36 Chalmers St, Ayr. KA7 1EA	Office: 01292 284821 Hostel 01292 297008
Hanover Housing Association	5 Newton Place, Glasgow G3 7PR	0141 353 1353
Link Housing Association	Abbeymill Business Centre, Mile End Mill, Unit 1005/1010, 12 Seedhill Rd, Paisley, PA1 1JS	Tel: 0141 840 6380 Fax: 0141 840 6381
Margaret Blackwood Housing Association	West of Scotland Office, Suite 102, The Pentagon Centre, Washington Streeet, Glasgow G3 8AZ	0141 204 2706
Trust Housing Association Ltd	Pavilion 5 Watermark Business Park 345 Govan Road Glasgow G51 2SE	Tel 0141 227 1994 Fax 0141 427 6479
West of Scotland Housing Association	Ayrshire Area, Office 17, Portland Road, Kilmarnock, KA1 2BT	01563 573 636

RSL Tenancy Agreements

As a result of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001 a single social tenancy has been introduced for council tenants and RSL tenants. This replaces the assured and secure tenancy agreements formerly used by RSLs.

This new single social tenancy is known as The Scottish Secure Tenancy (S.S.T) and is aimed at giving tenants in all forms of social housing similar tenancy conditions.

Nomination Agreements with the Council

Most councils and RSLs have nomination agreements to refer applicants on the council's waiting lists to the RSLs when vacancies arise.

Most agreements are that the council are allowed to nominate people from their lists for 50% of RSL vacancies.

However, this arrangement only gives the council the right to suggest names of applicants to RSLs, It is up to the RSL to decide who the property is actually allocated to. South Ayrshire Council has nomination agreements with all eight RSLs operating in South Ayrshire.

If you are on the council waiting list you will automatically be nominated, unless you specifically express not to be.