A Scottish Government charter which aims to improve the quality and value of services that social landlords provide to tenants will take effect on Sunday [01 April].

The Scottish Social Housing Charter, which was approved by the Scottish Parliament on 14 March [2012], comprises 16 outcomes that service users should expect to receive from a good landlord.

Before submitting the Charter for approval, the Scottish Government completed a thorough consultation process.

A number of Aberdeen City Council tenants were involved in this process and the council's Tenant Resident Forum also sent a reply.

The Charter includes services not just available to council tenants but also homeless people, gypsy travellers, owners in mixed tenure blocks and those on housing waiting lists.

Aberdeen City Council has set up a dedicated website to keep people up-to-date with developments on how the local authority is implementing the Charter and progressing towards achieving the desired outcomes.

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A project team in the council has also been established and is working with service users to develop initiatives to meet the Charter outcomes.

The outcomes focus on equalities, communication, participation, quality of housing, repairs, maintenance and improvements, estate management, housing options, access to social housing, tenancy sustainment, homelessness, value for money, rent and service charges and gypsy travellers.

Aberdeen City Council Head of Housing and Community Safety Donald Urquhart said: "Aberdeen City Council is committed to achieving all of the desired outcomes outlined in the Charter with a view to improving the quality and value of the services that we, as a landlord, deliver to tenants and other stakeholders.

"We will be working closely with all service users affected by the Charter to keep them updated of progress and to develop initiatives to meet these outcomes."

Aberdeen City Council's progress towards achieving the Charter outcomes will be monitored by the new Scottish Housing Regulator with the council's first report to the Regulator due to be submitted in May 2014.

The Charter replaces the performance standards detailed in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001.

It does not replace any of the legal duties that apply to Aberdeen City Council, but in a number of cases the outcomes describe the results that the council should achieve in meeting our legal duties.

(GK)