Home Ownership

Introduction

Owner-occupation is the most common tenure in Clackmannanshire. Private Housing is available to buy in all towns and villages in the area.

For the latest information on house prices and the Scottish housing market, please visit the Scottish Government Buying and Selling house prices webpage. For information on low-cost home ownership, including the Low cost Initiative for First Time Buyers (LIFT), please visit the Scottish Government’s Homeowners web page.

Responsibilities as a home owner

As a homeowner, you are responsible for carrying out repairs and maintenance to your home.

You must ensure that your home does not fall below the Tolerable Standard. The tolerable standard is the minimum standard and the basic level of repair that the property must meet to make it fit for a person to live in. This includes making sure that the property is structurally stable, is substantially free from rising or penetrating damp, and has satisfactory thermal insulation.

You should ensure that you have the additional funds to carry out the necessary repair and maintenance works to ensure your home stays in a reasonable condition.

Communal Repairs and Maintenance

If you live in a tenement property such as a flat or four-in-a-block and you share common areas of the building with other homeowners such as roofs, staircases, entrances and gardens, you may also share the responsibility for maintaining these common areas.

Your property title deeds usually set out the common areas and parts of the building that you are responsible for maintaining, your share of the costs and how you should reach decisions with the other owners about the necessary repairs and maintenance. Where the title deeds are silent or unclear, the Tenement Management Scheme (TMS) under the Tenement (Housing) Scotland Act 2004 may be used to fill in the gaps or replace the title deeds.

You and the other homeowners are responsible for organising and reaching decisions about the necessary common repair and maintenance works, raising the necessary funds and apportioning the costs. For free and impartial advice on how to carry out communal repair and maintenance works, please visit Under One Roof.

Factoring

If you live in housing which includes commonly owned areas such as roofs, staircases, entrances and gardens you may be affected by the Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011.

Clackmannanshire Council is not a registered property factor and will not act as a factor in your building.

Cost-of-Living Support

If you are struggling financially and are worried about not being able to pay your mortgage, please visit Support for Mortgage Interest webpage.

If you believe you may be entitled to housing benefit and council tax reduction, please visit Housing Benefit and Council Tax reduction webpage.

If you are struggling to heat your home, you may wish to seek help and advice from our Home Energy Advice Team. For further information, please visit the Home Energy Advice webpage.

For general cost-of-living advice, information and practical support, please visit the Cost of living help and support webpage.

Help with Adaptations for People with a Disability

If you experience a disability or an illness, and you believe you have a need for an adaptation or equipment to remain safe and independent at home, the Council may be able to assist you. To request advice, information or an assessment of a particular need for adaptations, please contact the Adult Care Team.

If you require an adaptation, and require financial assistance, Adult Care will carry out an assessment to determine whether the adaption is mandatory and whether the Council will financially assist to carry out the adaptation.

If you are eligible for mandatory grant assistance, we will award you with a Disabled Adaptation Grant. The grant will cover a minimum of 80% of the approved costs of the eligible adaptations, rising to 100% depending on your individual circumstances.

For further information on types of assistance available, please visit the Private Housing Assistance Scheme webpage.