This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
Listen
Executive proposes 'single survey' process
13/03/2003
Single surveys, commissioned by a property seller and
made available to potential buyers, are to be tried out in
Scotland by the end of the year.
The pilot survey scheme is one measure proposed by the
Executive in response to a report from its Housing
Improvement Task Force (HITF) which addresses common
frustrations experienced by home owners, house buyers and
private sector tenants.
The problem of multiple surveys was found to affect one
third of house purchasers in Scotland. Research found that
up to 27 per cent of recent buyers faced unexpected repair
costs of around £3,700.
The HITF final report has made over 150 recommendations
including proposals to:
- improve the information for home buyers on property
condition and remove the need for multiple surveys
- ensure that private landlords carry out necessary
repairs
- help flat owners work together to ensure that
common repairs are done
- modernise the powers available to local authorities
to tackle house condition problems
Today, at the Institute of Chartered Housing conference
in Aberdeen, Social Justice Minister Margaret Curran
said:
"Current arrangements date to an era when home ownership
was the preserve of the few. Today, 70 per cent of
Scotland's housing is privately owned and a radical rethink
is required to modernise this outdated system.
"The areas I want to immediately concentrate on are
single surveys, new forms of assistance such as loans for
repairs, more effective rules for communal maintenance and
updating the tolerable standard. We will be consulting
closely on these aspects with all the relevant bodies, to
see how they can be progressed.
"We hope to be able to take forward proposals for a
pilot single survey as soon as possible given there is
broad consensus that this should be the first step.
"This is a thorough report with over 150 recommedations
and I am sure it will inform government policies. Some
could be implemented through existing powers, others would
need new legislation and it will be for the future
administration to decide on this."
The HITF first met in March 2001. Its membership was
drawn from a range of backgrounds across the housing sector
including: the Chartered Institute of Housing, the Scottish
Consumer Council, Shelter, housing associations, local
authorities, private landlords, property managers,
surveyors, mortgage lenders, the legal profession and
leading academics.
On the question of multiple surveys, research showed
that the majority of buyers opt for a basic Scheme 1
mortgage valuation survey which is intended to provide a
valuation for the lender rather than a report on the
condition of the property.
It is anticipated that a pilot single survey system,
based on a more detailed Scheme 2 valuation, will involve
the seller commissioning the survey including a valuation,
making it available to interested parties, with the costs
being passed on to the successful bidder.
Existing arrangements to fund repairs allow for the
provision of grants, either mandatory, for example where a
notice has been served by the council, or at the council's
discretion.
The HITF is proposing that councils should not be
required to provide mandatory grants but they should have
wider discretion to make grants to owners who face genuine
problems funding repair works or provide loans or other
practical assistance to ensure that the work proceeds.
The HITF is also recommending that the services provided
to older owners and those with particular needs, through
Care and Repair projects, should be available in every
local authority area.
Existing arrangements for communal repairs in tenements
are based largely on the title deeds of the individual
flats and, where these are silent or flawed, the common law
of the tenement applies.
The HITF is recommending that existing title based
arrangements should remain in force, but that the common
law provision should be restated and simplified. A draft
bill has already been prepared by the Scottish Law
Commission and the HITF makes recommendations for changes
to their proposals. The Executive will shortly issue a
consultation paper based on the Commission's proposals for
a Tenements (Scotland) Bill which makes reference to the
relevant recommendations of the HITF. Any decision on the
introduction (and terms) of the Tenements Bill will be a
matter for the incoming Administration after the
parliamentary election on May 1.
The Executive has already announced that £215
million will be available over the three years
(2003/04-2005/06) for private sector housing overall.