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Tenant rights

Understand your rights, tenancy protections and customer support services.

Overview of Your Rights

As a Riverside Scotland tenant, you have a range of rights designed to keep you safe, secure and supported in your home. These rights are protected by Scottish housing law, including the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 and the Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST) framework, as well as Riverside Scotland’s own policies and the Scottish Social Housing Charter.

This page explains your rights clearly so you know what to expect from us, and what we expect from you.

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Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST) or Short SST

Most Riverside Scotland tenants hold a Scottish Secure Tenancy. This provides strong rights around security, repairs, rent and how your tenancy can be ended. Riverside Scotland confirms that its rent and tenancy policies apply specifically to Scottish Secure Tenancies and Short SSTs.

Your right to occupy your home

Security of tenure

You have the right to live peacefully in your home without interruption, provided it is your only or principal home.

Scottish Secure Tenancies offer strong security of tenure — your tenancy can only be ended through formal Scottish legal processes.

Eviction protections

We can only end your tenancy using the legal procedures set out in Scottish housing law.

Grounds for eviction include issues such as persistent non‑payment of rent or serious antisocial behaviour, and will be stated in your tenancy agreement.

Access to your home

We may occasionally need access to your home for inspections, repairs, or safety checks.

You will normally receive at least 24 hours’ notice, and we will always try to arrange a convenient appointment unless  it's an emergency.

Your right to reasonable rent

Riverside Scotland must set rents in line with Scottish regulations, balancing affordability with maintaining homes. Our policy confirms:

  • Rents must comply with Scottish law and the Scottish Social Housing Charter
  • Rents must remain affordable, especially for low‑income households
  • Rent increases must follow legal and regulatory requirements
  • We will consult with you on changes  to your rent

Contact and feedback

Your home, repairs and our responsibilities

The standard your home must meet
Your home must meet the legal Scottish Repairing Standard, including:
- A safe structure and exterior
- Working installations (heating, plumbing, electrics)
- Protection from damp or hazards

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 strengthens requirements for improved housing quality across Scotland.
Our responsibilities as your landlord
Your tenancy agreement sets out our responsibility to maintain:
- The structure and exterior of your home
- Installations for water, heating, sanitation and electrics
- Kitchens, bathrooms and other fittings we provide

We must also ensure:
- Essential repairs are carried out within a reasonable time
- Protection from unsafe or unhealthy housing conditions
Reporting repairs and concerns
You have the right to report:
- Repairs
- Health or safety concerns
- Damp, mould, or maintenance issues

We are legally required to take action under the Scottish Repairing Standard and the strengthened quality rules in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025.

Keeping a pet

Permission is not required to keep a pet, however all pet owners must be aware that there is a  limit to the number of pets allowed:

  • Two larger pets per household e.g. cats, dogs.
  • One pet per flat/maisonette with no direct access to a garden.

RIverside Scotland will not allow ownership of any dogs listed  in The Dangerous  Dog  Act 1991.

Making changes to your home

Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, tenants have the right to:

  • Request permission to decorate or make reasonable alterations
  • Have these requests considered fairly
  • Be protected from unreasonable refusals
  • response to these requests in a timely fashion

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Decorating and alterations

Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, tenants have the right to:

  • Request permission to decorate or make reasonable alterations
  • Have these requests considered fairly
  • Be protected from unreasonable refusals
  • response to these requests in a timely fashion

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Sharing or exchanging your home

You may apply to swap your home with another social housing tenant, with our permission and the other landlord’s.

Permission can only be refused for lawful reasons, such as:

  • Antisocial behaviour
  • Legal action to end the tenancy
  • The property being unsuitable for the receiving household
Sub‑letting or taking in a lodger

You can apply for permission to:

  • Take in a lodger
  • Sub‑let all or part of  your home

We will not refuse consent without good reason.

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    Ending or changing your tenancy
    Your right to end your tenancy

    If you wish to end your tenancy, you must give at least 28 days’ notice.

    You must tell us at the same time if you are married, in a ciivl partnership or you live in the house with another person as husband or wife. If you do, their agreement may also be required.

    Your right to succession

    If you die, someone may be able to take over your tenancy. In Scotland:

    • A joint tenant, partner or qualifying family member can succeed
    • The qualifying period has been reduced from 12 months to 6 months under new legislation

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    Right to acquire or buy your home (Scotland)

    The Right to Buy ended in Scotland in 2016 for all social housing tenants.

    You no longer have a legal right to acquire or purchase your home. 

    Fair treatment, safety and protection

    You are protected from:

    • Unlawful eviction
    • Harassment
    • Discrimination

    Your voice, information and financial support

    You have the right to:

    • Participate in decisions affecting your home
    • Provide feedback
    • Make complaints and receive a fair response
    • Be consulted about changes to rent and services

    Riverside Scotland’s rent policy requires compliance with Scottish regulatory standards, ensuring tenants are meaningfully involved.

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    Your right to be heard

    You have the right to:

    • Participate in decisions affecting your home
    • Provide feedback
    • Make complaints and receive a fair response
    • Be consulted about changes to rent and services

    Riverside Scotland’s rent policy requires compliance with Scottish regulatory standards, ensuring tenants are meaningfully involved.

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    Your financial rights

    You are entitled to:

    • Clear information about rent charges
    • Support if you are struggling with payments
    • Benefit advice and signposting
    • Access to affordability‑focused initiatives such as Housing Perks (if offered)

    Riverside Scotland must ensure rents remain affordable and do not create undue financial strain for low‑income households.

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    Your right to be consulted

    We must consult you — and give you an opportunity to comment — when proposing significant changes to how we manage or maintain your home, or if we propose transferring your home to another landlord.

    This duty is also supported by the Scottish Social Housing Charter, which requires meaningful tenant involvement

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    Your Tenancy Agreement

    Your Tenancy Agreement is an important legal document — please keep it in a safe place.

    If you need another copy, please contact us.

    Access your agreement

    You will receive a copy of your agreement when you become a tenant.

    New customers may also be able to access their agreement via My Riverside.

    Please note:
    Your original Tenancy Agreement cannot be changed, although changes in Scottish law may automatically update your rights.

    Your responsibilities

    Alongside your rights, you must:

    • Pay rent on time
    • Look after your home
    • Respect neighbours
    • Report repairs promptly
    • Inform us of changes in your household
    • Request permission before making alterations or keeping pets

    These obligations are part of your Scottish Secure Tenancy agreement and Scottish law.

    Need further help?

    If you have questions about your rights or need support, you can contact:

    Reasonable adjustments

    Under the Equality Act 2010, Riverside has a duty to make ‘reasonable adjustments’ where a request is made by a customer who has a disability. This means that we should consider the implications of any disabilities you tell us about which are relevant to the way you occupy your home or use our services, and meet any additional needs you may have within what is reasonable, ensuring you don’t face a significant disadvantage.

    A good example of this is adaptations, where either Riverside (sometimes with the financial support of the local authority) will consider requests to make an alteration or provide an additional fitting to assist you or someone within your household, to access the basic facilities within the home. For major adaptations this will always require the recommendation of a qualified occupational therapist, a professional who is skilled in assessing the needs of people with disabilities or mobility impairments.

    Learn more

    Note: This is intended as a general guide and is not a comprehensive or legally precise list of your rights. Always refer to your tenancy agreement and contact us if you are in any doubt. You are also free to take your own legal advice.