Council officials will soon have the power to force entry to local authority homes in Aberdeen where tenants have refused the fitting of new smoke alarms.
Last month, a total of 2,500 council properties in the city were still without alarms due to refusals from tenants and an inability to gain access.
This is understood to be more than 10% of the council’s total housing stock.
It comes after new legislation came into force on February 1, requiring all households in Scotland to have the appliances installed.
Aberdeen City Council said it expects to have a “new procedure” in place by the end of August to help the local authority upgrade the remaining properties.
This will allow council workers to force entry into properties where tenants have refused entry or where tenants have failed to keep their third or fourth appointment.
Housing Secretary Shona Robison is meanwhile being urged to step in and help the local authority tackle an “alarming backlog” in the number of council homes without the appliances.
Rob Polkinghorne, chief operating officer at the local authority, in a letter to north-east Tory MSP Liam Kerr, said: “No help has been offered or received from the Scottish Government to enable us to meet their target.”
The new appliances must be installed in the room where individuals spend most of their time, as well as in kitchens and in hallways.
It is the responsibility of councils to ensure the alarms are installed for tenants.
Calls for financial help
Mr Kerr described the lack of financial assistance as “scandalous” and demanded that extra help be given to meet the demands placed on the local authority.
He said: “It’s scandalous Aberdeen has received no help whatsoever to address the problems caused by the SNP government’s woeful handling of the new law.
“Hundreds of council houses across Aberdeen still don’t have these alarms and the local authority now has to pick up the pieces due to the unattainable position they have been left in by ministers.”
Aberdeenshire Council has fitted alarms in more than 99% of its housing stock, with only a “small number” remaining, forcing entry on two occasions.
A spokesman said: “We have undertaken a process of engagement with tenants to explain the benefits and has resulted in only two addresses we are aware of being a forced entry to-date.”
Moray Council has not forced entry into any properties yet but a spokesman said the local authority is considering this as a “last resort”.
In July, the council had more than 500 homes still to complete.
Legal duty on councils
The new standards were introduced following the Grenfell Tower tragedy in 2017 in a bid to “save more lives”.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: “This is about making homes safer for everyone, and the rules place a legal duty on local authorities to ensure homes are fitted with the correct alarms.
“We know that social landlords work closely with their tenants to agree access requirements and only when there is consistent non-engagement will they seek to enter homes to complete necessary works.
“Since 2015, social housing has been required to have fire alarms in place under the Scottish Housing Quality Standard, so there should be no homes that are without alarms, although these may need to be upgraded to meet the new standard.”
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