Number of West Lothian council house rentals increases in opening months of year
Turnover climbs as repairs backlog is dealt with
The success of a specialist team to tackle a backlog of empty council homes saw 140 homes made available in the first three months of this year.
That compares with just 129 for the same period last year, a meeting of the Housing Services PDSP heard.
Demand still outstrips supply though, and 19 of West Lothian’s 47 communities had no homes to let between January and March.
A joint action team comprising of housing officers and building services staff was set up in late 2024 to tackle the backlog. As the Local Democracy Reporting Service revealed this week, more staff have been hired and £1million set aside for contractors to assist the council.
A report to the PDSP said: “This increase in available lets is a result of there being a higher turnover of properties and repairs work being completed in more void properties compared to the same quarter last year.”
During January to March (Quarter 4 2025/26) there were 19 communities with no lets recorded, totalling 1,186 properties. During the whole of 2025/26 there were 10 communities with no lets recorded totalling 345 properties.
The communities with the highest percentage of total lets were Linlithgow with 18 lets (12.9 per cent); Eliburn / Kirkton with 13 lets (9.3 per cent); and Armadale with 12 lets (8.6 per cent).
Seven communities had one mainstream property available to let – Breich, Bridgend, Howden, Kirknewton, Mid Calder, Pumpherston, Seafield, and Uphall Station.
The report added: “The majority of properties that were available for letting were cottage types (54) followed by four in a block at 46 and flats at 26. There were also nine maisonettes and five sheltered housing lets.
“In terms of property size, 54 per cent of the lets were two-bedroom properties (76 Lets); 29 per cent were one-bedroom properties (41 lets); 15 per cent were three-bedroom properties (21 Lets); one per cent were four-bedroom properties (2 Lets) and there were no five-bedroom properties let this quarter.”
Sarah Kelly, housing needs manager said: “The 140 properties let in Quarter 4 were allocated in accordance with the council’s allocations policy.”
Of the 140 homes, 81 were let to homeless people, 29 to those with general needs and 28 were transfers.