Regulator creates new poster for Gypsy/Travellers

The Scottish Housing Regulator has published a new poster for Gypsy/Travellers who use sites provided by social landlords. The poster aims to raise awareness of the standards landlords are expected to deliver against the Scottish Social Housing Charter. 

The regulator’s poster includes information about important areas of landlords’ services, such as how quickly and how well repairs are dealt with, the amount of rent people are expected to pay, how the landlord should communicate, and how the landlord is performing.

The poster follows the regulator’s national thematic inquiry report published last year which highlighted the need for landlords to improve services to Gypsy/Travellers. 

The regulator has worked directly with Gypsy/Travellers on its National Panel of Tenants and Service Users to develop the poster. Panel members’ feedback has been included and the regulator said that they welcomed the poster as a positive way to raise awareness.   

Christine MacLeod, the regulator’s Director of Governance and Performance, said: 

“Gypsy/Travellers are entitled to enjoy the same standards in the Charter as tenants, and the poster sets out what they should expect from their landlord. We require landlords to display the poster at their sites to raise awareness amongst Gypsy/Travellers of what standards their landlord needs to deliver.” 

The regulator has been working directly with the local authority representative body ALACHO to share the poster with Gypsy/Travellers.

Elaine McHugh, Chair of ALACHO, said:

“We support the regulator’s efforts to ensure that residents of official Gypsy/Traveller sites are fully aware of their rights under the Charter.

“By displaying the new poster, landlords will help site residents understand their rights, as well as their tenancy obligations.”

The poster is available on the regulator’s website