Mid-Market Rent FAQ

Mid-market rent is a scheme to help working households on low and modest incomes access high quality affordable rented accommodation.

Mid-market rent is being provided by ng Property Scotland ltd (ngps) which is a subsidiary of ng homes. ngps have 5 one-bedroom flats and 16 two-bedroom flats available for mid-market rent.

Mid-market rent, provided by ngps, mainly aims to help people who may have difficulty accessing social rented housing or buying their own home. Your application will be prioritised using the following criteria:

• You should have a combined annual household income of between £22,000 and £42,000.

You will be issued with a Private Residential Tenancy Agreement provided for private rented housing. The agreement will be in the name of ngps (which is a subsidiary of ng homes).

More detailed information on your new tenancy will be issued to you by our the ngps Team as part of the allocation process. The Shelter website also contains useful information on different tenancies.

A deposit of one month’s rent will be required prior to taking entry. This is a security deposit and will be retained to meet the costs of any damage/dilapidation caused to the property by you, or for any unpaid rent after the property has been vacated.

The Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 made provision for the implementation of a Tenancy Deposit Scheme in Scotland and in March 2011 the Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations 2011 came into force which places a duty on landlords, who receive a deposit in connection with a tenancy, to protect this deposit with an independent third party. ngps will use a third party deposit scheme to hold all rental deposits.

At the end of the tenancy, you will need to agree with us how the deposit should be allocated. The third party will then repay the deposit, in accordance with the agreement unless there is a dispute between the parties over the deposit allocation.

If there is a dispute, the Scheme provider will ask for evidence from all parties as to how they feel the deposit should be allocated. It will then carry out an adjudication process and issue a draft report for review by all involved. Once comments have been received then there will be a final decision and the Scheme will pay out the deposit in accordance with that decision. This means that there will be delays in landlords and tenants getting their deposits back, particularly if there is a dispute.

The rent you pay will normally be higher than that for a comparable social rented property, but lower than a privately rented home. Your rent will be required in advance. For example, this means that rent paid for 1st October 2022 should be paid on or before 28 September 2022. This also means that at the end of a tenancy the last rental payment is a month before the tenancy ends. This is standard practice within private lets.

Please note that one month’s rent in advance AND a deposit is required upfront prior to moving into one of our Mid Market Rent properties.

Your rent will be reviewed each year and any increase will normally take effect from 1st April.

You won’t have an opportunity to purchase your mid-market rent property.

Prior to you receiving to you moving in, all properties will be painted and floored, therefore there will be no requirement to decorate. We will not allow you to paint, wall paper or change the flooring. You can put pictures on the walls, hang your own curtains, and accessorise the flat as you wish.

All properties will be fitted with white goods including a fridge freezer, washer/dryer, integrated oven and hob, and a shower.

Flooring is provided throughout the property including carpet in bedroom(s), hall and living room. Vinyl will be provided in the kitchen and bathroom.

All windows throughout the property will be fitted with blinds.

ngps, as letting agent of your property, is responsible for the on going maintenance. Full details of the respective repairs responsibilities will be issued to you as part of the sign-up process.

If there are any changes to your financial situation which mean you will have difficulty paying your rent, you must contact the ngps team as soon as possible and they will talk you through your options.

Mid-market rent properties will normally be designed to the same high quality specification as our housing for sale. Although additional items are included such as white goods or floor coverings, our mid-market rent properties will be let on an unfurnished basis.

No pets will be permitted within this development without permission.

Yes - you will have the chance to view your property before signing any agreement. We will invite you to a view the property with a member of staff when your application has been assessed.

If you see a property advertised which you think you might be eligible for, you should complete a mid-market rent application form, which is available from our office. To obtain a form, please call us on 0141 560 6000 or complete this form to email us.

Please note that due to high demand for mid-market rent properties, we will only accept applicants who fulfil the criteria and have provided the necessary evidence along with their application.

There are no waiting lists or transfer lists with mid-market rent properties, they operate on the same principle as private letting and are let on a first come first served basis.

In order to assess your application, we will carry out a credit check, we will also require evidence of your household income and a reference - ideally from your current or most recent landlord.

Below is our list of acceptable income evidence

In employment:

• Monthly - last 3 months payslips
• Fortnightly- last 6 payslips
• Weekly- last 13 weeks payslips
• P60 - for the previous tax year

Payslips must show:

• Applicant’s name
• Employer’s name
• Pay dates/pay period
• Gross pay/Net pay

Bank Statements must show:

• Applicant’s name and address
• If pay is verified by bank statements, then applicants will be asked to provide details of their gross income to ensure that all applicants are assessed on the same criteria.

Not in Employment but have Offer of Employment

• We will require a Copy of your offer letter from your new employer which confirms gross starting salary.

In receipt of Tax Credit /Child Benefit/Child Tax Credits

• We will require a copy of your HMRC award letter or 3 current and consecutive bank statements showing payments made to you.

Self Employed Earnings

• If you are self employed, you will be expected to provide audited accounts for the previous year or comprehensive accounts for year to date if your business has just recently started operating.

Child Maintenance Payments

• You should provide 3 current and consecutive bank statements detailing the payments made.

Pensions

• Monthly 3 pension statements
• Fortnightly 6 pension statements
• Weekly 13 pension statements
• Annual award letter current year
• If your pension is verified by bank statements, then applicants will be asked to provide details of their gross income to ensure that all applicants are assessed on the same criteria

If you are a social tenant and you decide to move away from social renting into mid-market rent, then your tenant rights will change. Should you wish to move back into social renting, you will be required to have a Housing Options interview to establish your circumstances, however this will not guarantee you a social let and you will be placed on a waiting list.