Rent officer team: FOI release

Information requested

You asked for Under the freedom of information act, please advise the following:

• How many staff are involved in the rent officer team?
• How many applications can the team handle in a single working day?
• How many staff will be looking at rent increase applications?
• Where have these staff members come from, what was their job role before?
• Is this a new department that’s been set up?
• How much does this department cost the tax payer?

Response

The answer to your questions are:

How many staff are involved in the rent officer team?

Rent Service Scotland (RSS) comprises 17 staff, of which 16 are Rent Officers.

How many applications can the team handle in a single working day?

This is an entirely new process, and the number of applications handled per day will depend on the ease or complexity of each. Only 12 applications were received by 31st December 2022 under the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 and have been processed as and when they arrive.

How many staff will be looking at rent increase applications? and Where have these staff members come from, what was their job role before?

At present 7 existing Rent Service Scotland staff are allocated and trained to process applications for prescribed property costs under the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 and are performing this process as part of their other rent officer functions.

Is this a new department that’s been set up?

No. Rent Officers were created by the Rent Act 1965 to perform statutory functions which then resulted in the setting up of Rent Service Scotland and is part of the Scottish Government. Subsequent legislation has given Rent Officers additional duties and powers, including the most recent prescribed costs applications under the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

How much does this department cost the tax payer?

Rent Service Scotland is funded as part of the overall Scottish Government costs. No additional budget has been allocated or required at this stage as a result of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

About FOI

The Scottish Government is committed to publishing all information released in response to Freedom of Information requests. View all FOI responses at http://www.gov.scot/foi-responses.