Council buying homes to offer for rent

A Scottish council has been buying up private properties in an effort to provide more homes for rent in its area.

Highland Council started the pilot scheme earlier this year and is close to reaching its initial target of 100 homes.

The local authority describes its project as a "hearts and minds" campaign.

Potential sellers are often people who want their properties to be of benefit to their local communities.

There is a lack of affordable housing in parts of the Highland Council area, with hotspots including Badenoch and Strathspey in the Cairngorms National Park and the Isle of Skye.

The local authority's latest figures show 9,416 households were on the Highland Housing Register on 31 March.

Communities' needs

Alan Maguire, who is involved in delivering affordable housing at Highland Council, said it was currently cheaper for the authority to purchase properties than build new ones for rent due to high construction costs.

He said: "We felt by introducing this scheme we could deliver more affordable housing throughout the Highlands by purchasing properties directly from individuals who want to sell to ourselves rather than on the open market.

"It is a hearts and minds campaign to get people to people to sell houses directly to the council to meet the needs of local communities."

Highland Council buys properties off-market, saving sellers marketing and other costs.

After considering the suitability of a home, an independent evaluation is done and the council then makes an offer.

So far, the authority has had 250 inquiries, made over 40 purchases and agreed deals on 10 others and has a further 40 under consideration.