Housing officers highlighted a range of early intervention measures used to help tenants stay in their homes and manage debts. But, the West Lothian Council still had to evict 45 tenants in the last year, a move which costs the council £800 a time – a total of £36,000 in the last year – on top of rent losses.

The report to the Housing Services Policy Development and Scrutiny Panel came in response to a composite motion by the full council earlier this year.

Councillors called for action as the current rent arrears figure reached more than £4 million acorss West Lothian. Rents have historically been collected over 48 weeks of the year, with two weeks “off” over Christmas and at the end of the financial year in March.

West Lothian currently has 14,367 tenancies with an average rent of £95.42 a week. Some 864 new tenancies were added in the last year, the Herald reports.

Housing officers told the committee changes to rent collection could be made when the new five-year collection strategy comes into effect beyond 2027.

The council motion suggested making rent collectible over 52 rather than 48 weeks “could make payment of rent more affordable for the most vulnerable or those who are facing deepening financial pressure”.

Rent collection is still above 90% across the nine council wards of West Lothian.

Officers stressed that early intervention with tenants was central to the collection strategy. Alongside regular contact with tenants and weekly monitoring of rental income to highlight potential problems, housing officers also work with them to direct them to agencies.