Rent Registrations
The rent registration tables contain information on three types of case:
1. Housing benefit referrals. Local authorities are required to refer most claims for housing benefit from private sector tenants to Rent Officers. The Rent Officer's role is to calculate the amount of subsidy that the local authority can claim from the central government. The housing benefit tables contain information on:
- the number of cases referred
- the weekly referred rent (the amount the landlord wants to charge the tenant)
- the local reference rent (the midpoint of the range of market rents for properties of the same size in the same locality)
- the appropriate, or claim related rent (the amount of subsidy that the local authority can claim from central government)
2. Pre-tenancy determinations. These enable prospective tenants and their landlords to obtain an indication of the maximum rent likely to be used to calculate housing benefit entitlement, prior to their commencement of the tenancy. The tables contain information on the number of such cases.
3. Fair (registered) rent cases. Prior to 2 January 1989 most lettings by non-resident private landlords and housing association tenancies could have a 'fair' rent registered by the rent officer. In assessing a fair rent, rent officers must follow the rules laid down in the Rent (Scotland) Act 1984 that require consideration of all the circumstances of the tenancy (except personal ones), and the condition of the dwelling. They will take particular account of age, state of repair, character and locality of the dwelling, but will disregard any amount attributable to scarcity of similar accommodation in the area. These tables contain information on the numbers of such cases, and the referred and registered rent, by tenure.
Further information about the Rent Registration Service and the role of the Rent Officer, can be found on the Rent Registration Service website.