A private tenant with a disability, or someone in their household with a disability should, with the permission, and perhaps help of their landlord, be able to make physical changes to their home to make it meet their needs.
Private tenants will qualify for an 80% grant for the agreed cost of the work if they have:
- been assessed by a North Ayrshire Council occupational therapist as qualifying for a mandatory adaptation
- all the building warrants and planning permission they need
- the agreement of the landlord
- the permission of other owners (if the adaptation will change shared areas)
Some tenants may be eligible for a grant to cover the full costs if they receive:
- income support
- income-based Jobseeker’s Allowance
- Universal Credit
- Pension Credit (guarantee element)
- Employment Support Allowance (income related)
If you want to receive grant funding for an adaptation, you will need to go through the grant application process before starting any work. You cannot apply for grant funding if you have already started work to your property. You must also have the written agreement from your landlord to carry out the work.
If you would like to be assessed by an occupational therapist, you should contact our Independent Living Service on 01294 476148.
If you are aged 65 or over, you are also eligible for help from our Care and Repair Services. These services can help you when you are applying for grants and organising the work to your home. You may also be able to get small adaptations to your home, for example, a replacement door handle to improve your safety, by using these services.
The contact details for North Ayrshire Care and Repair Services are available:
- Isle of Arran
Care & Repair Administrator
Isle of Arran Homes
Brodick, Isle of Arran
Phone: 01770 302888
Email: arrancareandrepair@trustha.org.uk
- North Ayrshire Mainland
Care & Repair Co-ordinator
Cunninghame Housing Association
82/84 Glasgow Street, Ardrossan
Phone: 0800 068 1464
Email: care&repair@chaltd.org
Private landlords have a duty to take reasonable steps to help their disabled tenants adapt their homes. This could involve helping with small adaptations or equipment, such as:
- replacing or providing a sign or notice
- replacing or providing a suitable tap or door handle
- replacing, providing or adapting a doorbell or door-entry system
- changing the colour of a wall, door or any other surface
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 states that a private landlord does not have to make changes in the form of structural adaptations for a tenant (for example, replace a bath with a level-access shower). However, if you are a disabled tenant and you ask for a structural adaptation from your landlord, they cannot refuse without good reason. Your landlord has no responsibility to pay for the adaptation you have asked for.
Your landlord can also set some conditions on their agreement to the work. These could include:
- setting the standard the work must reach
- insisting that you return the property to the condition it was in originally when you leave the tenancy
When considering whether to give their permission, a landlord will need to think about:
- your disability
- whether the planned work will meet your needs
- the safety of the occupiers of the home or of any other home nearby (for example, if the work is going to affect a shared area, this should not put any resident of the building in danger, if there was to be a fire)
- any costs which the landlord will need to cover, because of the planned work
- whether it will be possible to return the property to the condition it was in before the work was carried out
- whether the planned work is likely to:
- lower the value of the property
- lower the value of any other home in the building (for example, if it is in a block of flats)
- make the property or any other part of the grounds less suitable for letting or for sale
We would expect the landlord to try and find another suitable tenant for the property, in its adapted condition.
If landlord cannot find a new tenant, in certain situations we may meet 80% of the costs to remove or change the adaptations that are making it difficult to re-let the property.
