Rent and service charges: Scotland

Rent is our main source of income and helps us provide essential services such as maintenance, repairs, and housing management. It also enables us to continue investing in our Communities. The income we receive from rents ensures we can keep key services running and meet the demand for repairs. We’re also committed to delivering planned improvement works in homes and investing in both existing homes and new builds to address the growing need for affordable housing.

The rent you pay depends on the type of home and tenancy you have. We manage a variety of home and tenancy types with different start dates, even within the same areas. This sometimes results in differences in rent charges where properties and tenancy agreements are not the same. Your rent is reviewed in line with the terms set out in your tenancy agreement, but if you think something is wrong, please contact us.

Please visit our online portal where you can register to manage your account online. 

You will need your payment reference number for this which can be found on your letter.

Having an online account makes it even easier to manage your home with us. It's free, easy to register and you get all these great benefits:

• Manage your money: check your account, history, and payments.
• Access anytime: 24/7, 365 days a year.
• Safe and secure: protected with the latest security software and password protection.
• Cut down on paper: reduce post, save on filing and help the environment.
• Stay up to date: Easily update your personal details, such as phone numbers and email addresses.

If you need help setting up your account, you can email inclusion@placesforpeople.co.uk or request a call back by calling us on 01772 666246.

If you live in a home where services are provided to any part of your building or Community, you’ll pay a charge to cover the cost of delivering those services. 

Your service charge helps pay for things that keep your home and Community safe, well-maintained, and desirable places to live, for example, grounds maintenance, fire safety equipment, staff support, and communal utilities such as gas, electricity, and water. It also covers lift maintenance, health and safety checks, and the management needed to deliver these services. 

Before the start of each financial year, we estimate the cost of the services provided and charge you for your share of that estimate. These estimates are worked out using information from our contractors and by analysing past costs. Charges reflect the costs of delivering these services; there is no profit included in service charge amounts. 

Your service charge covers the cost of maintaining our buildings and caring for the shared areas around your home. Service charges are reviewed annually and can increase or decrease based on several factors, for example, inflation or market changes, supplier and contractor price changes, material costs, overheads and service level. 

Our aim is to ensure you know exactly what you’re paying for and how these charges contribute to your Community. 

Your annual utility charges are based on usage and take into account inflation as well as the contract prices set by utility companies. It covers the cost of electricity and power, for example, power to lifts, communal boilers, air source heat pumps and water pumps. Also, the cost of fuel charges for the communal areas and hot water.  

We regularly review and negotiate contracts with energy providers. This includes checking multiple suppliers and choosing the most competitive option available. Locking in contracts early when prices are favourable allows us to protect Customers from sudden increases and keep charges more stable.   

Your Council Tax covers the cost of regular refuse collections. However, when abandoned items such as old sofas, fridges, or washing machines cannot be collected through normal services, we have a duty of care under health and safety regulations to keep areas around your community clear of bulky or abandoned items. There is a cost to collect these items.    

We encourage all Customers to book bulk item collections directly with your local council to keep these charges as low as possible.

The administration charge covers costs of managing the services we provide. This includes our People’s time, the systems we use, and the offices needed to deliver these services effectively.

This charge covers at least one of the following: lightning protection, door servicing, electronic gate servicing, washer, or dryer ventilation servicing.

This charge helps cover the cost of wear and tear/replacement or provision of communal items such as carpets, furniture, grit boxes, washing machines or washing lines.

What is a heat network? 

Your home is heated by a communal heat network, which supplies heating and hot water to multiple homes from a central system. This means you don’t have your own individual boiler. 

How are my heating and hot water charges worked out? 

In some homes, heating and hot water are not individually metered. Instead of being billed on usage, your charge reflects your share of the total cost of running the heat network. These costs are reviewed each year and are based on energy prices, fuel costs, and inflation. Charges are collected through your service charge and are set on a not-for-profit basis. 

What are communal utility charges? 

Communal charges cover energy used in shared areas and equipment, such as lifts and communal lighting, pumps and plant rooms, boilers or air source heat pumps serving the building. These costs are also included in your service charge. 

Who regulates heat networks? 

From 1 April 2025, Customers can contact the Energy Ombudsman for independent advice if a complaint can’t be resolved with us. 

From 27 January 2026, Ofgem will formally regulate heat networks, introducing stronger consumer protections. 

What if I have a concern? 

Please contact Places for People first so we can try to resolve your issue. If we’re unable to do so, you can contact the Energy Ombudsman for free, independent support.  

All service charges are assessed in line with Housing Benefit regulations to determine which charges, if any, can be covered by Housing Benefit.

We’ll provide a breakdown in your annual increase letter to show you what’s eligible. Services marked as “HBE” (Housing Benefit Eligible) can be paid, and those noted as “HBI” (Housing Benefit Ineligible) cannot. This is decided by Housing Benefit Regulations.

For those in receipt of Universal Credit (which includes a housing cost element) there may be some differences from Housing Benefit. If you have a query with your service charge eligibility, you should contact the Universal Credit helpline 0800 328 5644 in the first instance.

If you do not currently receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, you should check whether you are now entitled to it following the change to your charges. You can do so by visiting www.mygov.scot/benefits-support or by calling the Universal Credit helpline 0800 328 5644.

Your rent charge is calculated in line with the Places for People Affordable Housing Rent and Service Charge Policy. The amount you pay will depend on the type of agreement you have and the start date of the tenancy. If you don’t know what type of agreement you have, your tenancy or lease agreement will tell you, or you can ask us. 

Scottish Secure Tenancies (SST), Short SSTs and Occupancy Agreements 

Our rent policy allows for a maximum increase of September’s CPI plus 1%. The CPI is the Consumer Price Index. This represents the increase in the cost of goods and services in the previous 12 months and is published each month by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). 

The CPI figure in September 2025 was 3.8%, allowing for a rent increase of up to 4.8%.  

Further information on how rent is set, can be found in our Rent and Service Charge Policy, which is available on request. Just send us an email to pfpshousing@placesforpeople.co.uk or call us on 0131 657 0600. 

Shared Ownership 

Occupancy charges for Shared Ownership properties are calculated using the same rent policy. Deductions are made for property management, as Sharing Owners are responsible for their own property management. Please refer to your original sign-up documents for further details.    

If your property is factored, your insurance charge and other factored services will be sent directly to you by your factor and are not included within this Occupancy Charge. 

Universal Credit  

If you claim Universal Credit, you’ll need to report this change using your online Universal Credit account or by using the Universal Credit helpline 0800 328 5644, quoting your new rent and service charge amounts.    

 Reporting the change must be done as soon as possible after the new charge starts.  

 Housing Benefit   

Where this is paid directly to us, we’ll notify your local council of the change. If this is paid directly to you, please contact your local Housing Benefit department to inform them of this change.  

For customers in the process of claiming Housing Benefit, where this has not been paid to us before 31 January 2026, you will need to contact your local Housing Benefit department to report the change.  

Direct Debit 

We recommend that you pay by Direct Debit, and we can arrange this easily for you over the telephone. This can be set up weekly, fortnightly, four-weekly or monthly. There are no extra charges, and you’re guaranteed a refund from your bank or building society in the unlikely event that anything goes wrong. To arrange this please complete a Direct Debit mandate or call us on 0131 657 0600 

We want to support Customers who may need help if they are experiencing financial difficulty. If you would like to talk to us about the support available, please contact our Financial Inclusion Team on 0131 657 0600.

You can also find help and resources on our Cost of Living support page.

If you do not currently receive Housing Benefit or Universal Credit, you should check whether you are now entitled to it following the change to your charges. You can do so by visiting www.gov.uk/benefits-calculators or by calling the Universal Credit Service Centre on 0800 328 5644.

These are the questions asked most often by our Customers. If you have a question that is not listed above, or you would like to discuss a question further please:

• Send us an email to pfpshousing@placesforpeople.co.uk (please ensure you share your address so we can support you as soon as possible).
• Call us on 0131 657 0600. Lines are open Monday to Thursday 9am to 5pm and Friday from 9am to 4pm (excluding Bank Holidays).