Moray Council achieved the lowest level of tenant rent arrears of any local authority in Scotland, with arrears standing at just 3.29% compared to the national average of 8.6%. The report also confirmed that 100.5% of rent was collected during the financial year.

Performance in repairs was another strong area, with emergency repairs completed in an average of 2.2 hours, well below the national average of four hours. The council also resolved 93.15% of antisocial behaviour cases, marking a 28.65% improvement on the previous year.

While overall results were positive, tenant satisfaction with opportunities to participate in decision-making remains below the national average. The council has pledged to address this through enhanced engagement initiatives and continued investment in housing services.

Councillor Amber Dunbar, chair of Moray Council’s Housing and Community Safety Committee, said: “This report shows how well our housing teams are performing and how committed we are to providing good quality homes and services for tenants across Moray. The one area needing improvement is already being addressed through significant investment in our housing stock.”

West Dunbartonshire Council’s annual performance report highlighted strong progress in re-letting empty homes, reducing housing refusals, and ensuring gas safety checks were carried out across all properties within statutory timescales.

Tenant satisfaction has seen marked improvement, with 87.8% of tenants now satisfied with the quality of their home, up from 62.7% in 2023/24. Satisfaction with opportunities to participate in decision-making also rose sharply, from 69.2% to 87.2%.

The council introduced a new repairs policy during the year, which has already delivered a more efficient service. Despite these gains, the report emphasised the need for continued focus on tackling homelessness, reducing waiting lists, and meeting housing demand.

West Dunbartonshire declared a housing emergency in May 2024 and has since outlined a comprehensive action plan, including expanding its Buy Back scheme, reviewing funding models to enable more homes to be built, and prioritising prevention measures to reduce time spent in temporary accommodation.

Councillor Gurpreet Singh Johal, convener of Housing and Communities, said: “There has been a significant amount of work undertaken over the last year to improve engagement with tenants and improve their experience particularly around repairs. It is great to hear that the new repairs policy is delivering for tenants and providing a more robust and efficient service.”

Councillor Hazel Sorrell, vice convener, added: “This report highlights the excellent work which is being undertaken by the Housing department for the benefit of tenants and residents in West Dunbartonshire. It is particularly pleasing to see progress in the number of gas safety checks carried out as that is an important statutory requirement which aims to keep tenants safe.”