Rent Officer training and valuation guidance from Rent Service Scotland: FOI release

Information requested

Please provide all internal training materials, guidance documents, or policy manuals currently used by Rent Service Scotland in the training of Rent Officers regarding the assessment of open market rent. Specifically, I am requesting any documentation regarding the use of comparables, condition-based adjustments, and the treatment of listings that are not Let Agreed.

Response

Initial face-to-face training for Rent Officers is provided by The Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and refreshed annually. During the training, Rent Officers learn how to value “Fair Rent” properties. In addition to this training, the Rent Officer Handbook on “Fair Rent” registrations provides guidance and training on valuations, the use of  comparable properties and condition based adjustments. All new Rent Officers work with an experienced Rent Officer to consolidate training. 

Rent Officer Duties and Handbook can be found online, Valuation Office Agency Rent Officer Duties - GOV.UK, Valuation Office Agency: Rent Officer Handbook - GOV.UK

Rent Officers must comply with the statutory requirements laid down by the relevant legislation relating to their role in valuation of properties, including:

Rent (Scotland) Act 1984 for Scotland,

The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997 and

The Rent Officers (Universal Credit Functions) Order 2013 as amended for Housing Benefit work, including Local Housing Allowances; and 

The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016

Rent Adjudication was introduced with the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 on the 1 December 2017. This was introduced alongside Private Residential Tenancies (PRT), Rent Officers follow Section 32 of the 2016 Act to determine an open market rent.

Rent Service Scotland (RSS) has a statutory obligation to collect rental information from a range of sources. Rent Officers follow The Rent Officers (Housing Benefit Functions) Order 1997.

Duty to make information available, Rent Officers follow Section 34 of the 2016 Act-

(1) Rent Officers and the First-tier Tribunal collectively must make publicly available information about-
(a) the rents they have taken into account in determining the open market rents for let properties under section 32, and
(b) what rents they have determined to be payable in accordance with that section.

(2) The Scottish Ministers may by regulations—
(a) specify-
(i) the information that is to be made available under subsection (1),
(ii) the manner in which it is to be made available,

The information that is to be made publicly available is specified in Regulation 2 of Scottish Statutory Instrument 2017/296-
(i) the general location and description of; and
(ii) the amount of rent payable in relation to, that property.

There is no requirement for information on Let agreed or not Let agreed, to be made available.

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