Social housing waiting lists

A snapshot of the local authority housing or common housing register list on 31st March 2025 shows 180,074 applications. This isn’t a complete picture of the demand for social housing in Scotland, as this figure doesn’t include six local authorities with registered social landlord stock only. This figure could also include double counting as applicants can apply to more than one list.

The number of applications in March 2025 was the highest since March 2013. There has been an increase of 1% or 2,228 more households than 2024, although the latest figure is 21% below the peak in 2002. This is illustrated in Chart 5.

Chart 5: The number of social housing list applications, 2000–01 to 2024–25

Note:

1. The administrative data reported through local authority and common housing register collections do not include six local authorities (including Glasgow) which have transferred all their housing stock to Registered Social Landlords.
2. Data for this chart is taken from the following spreadsheet: Management of local authority housing

Of the 180,074 applications on local authority or common housing register lists, 30,635 (17%) were recorded as being on transfer lists and 149,439 (83%) on waiting lists for entry into social housing. However, six out of twenty-six local authorities with housing stocks do not have separate waiting lists and transfer lists. One local authority did not provide this breakdown in 2024-25. Where this is the case, everyone is counted on waiting lists and none on the transfer list. This means that the waiting list figure is over-estimated, and the transfer list figure is under-estimated.

Notes on social housing waiting list data:

1. The separate reporting of waiting and transfer lists by local authorities has changed over time, which means historic trends are not consistent or reliable.
2. There will be applications where housing is no longer needed, however they may not be removed from the housing list immediately.
3. The administrative data reported through Local Authority and Common Housing Register collections do not include six local authorities (including Glasgow) which have transferred all their housing stock to Registered Social Landlords.
4. The number of applications is reported rather than actual numbers of people who wish to access social housing. It should be noted that people can apply to more than one local authority, and they also can apply for both council and Registered Social Landlords housing, leading to multiple counting on housing lists, although this has become less of an issue over time due to the increase in use of Common Housing Registers.
5. Population/household surveys are a useful source of information to provide additional insight on the population waiting for social housing. Since 2013, a question on housing lists was introduced to the Scottish Household Survey. This survey avoids double counting and covers the whole of Scotland. Although it does not cover the population living in communal establishments or in temporary accommodation.
6. Further detailed Local Authority administrative data are available in the housing lists Excel web tables.