Orkney Islands Council: Garage Allocation Policy

October 2001

IMAGE: The cover displays the Orkney Islands Council crest and the text “ORKNEY ISLANDS COUNCIL”. It identifies the document as “Orkney Islands Council: Garage Allocation Policy”, dated “October 2001”. The document-control table reads: “DOCUMENT REF | REV | ISSUE DATE | REASON FOR ISSUE | REVIEWER | SIGN”; “HD POL 109 | 1 | 03/10/2001 | NEW”; “HD POL 109 | 2 | 15/10/2012 | REVIEWED | HEAD OF HOUSING AND HOMELESSNESS”.

1. Introduction

Orkney Islands Council maintains a stock of approximately 300 garages, which are mostly located, adjacent to Council owned houses in various parts of Orkney. They are let on a monthly basis and at a rent that will be reviewed annually and published accordingly. This policy sets out how the Council manages applications to rent the garages and the priorities used when allocations are made.

2. Allocation Priorities

The Council garages were originally built with the intention that they were let to Council house tenants. The sale of many of the Council houses has led to many garages being let to owner occupiers and private tenants. Consequently new lets will be allocated to these categories in the following order.

Within each category the garages will be allocated in order of date of application.

1. Council tenants within the area of the vacant garage
2. Council tenants from outside the area of the vacant garage
3. Occupants of ex Council houses within the area of the vacant garage
4. Occupants of ex Council houses from outside the area of the vacant garage
5. All other persons

Areas are defined in Section 5

Only one garage will be allocated per household unless a surplus exists.

Where a surplus exists, second garages will be allocated in the following order.

1. Council tenants from any area.
2. Occupants of ex Council houses
3. All other persons

3. Waiting Lists for Garages

The Council will maintain a waiting list for each of the above categories ranked in order of date of application. When a garage becomes vacant it will be offered to the person at the top of the highest priority group. If no one can be found in that group it will be offered to the person at the top of the next priority group and so on.

Existing tenants of a garage can join the waiting list so that they can be considered for a garage in a more convenient area or to apply for a second garage.

4. Transfers

The tenant of a garage can exchange with another garage tenant by mutual consent with the agreement of the Council. This can be done across any area.

If a garage is already vacant it must be offered to those on the waiting list before an existing tenant will be allowed to transfer.

5. Areas

The areas shown below will be used to prioritise the allocation of garages in conjunction with the categories listed in paragraph 2.

1. Papdale, Meadowbank and Hordaland
2. Craigie Crescent, Warrenfield, Summerdale, Quoybanks, Kirklands Road
3. Broadsands Road, Laverock Road, Pipersquoy, Earl Thorfinn Street, Earl Sigurd Street, King Haakon Street and Manse Road
4. Buttquoy Crescent, Buttquoy Park, Victoria Road, Clay Loan, Nicolson Street, Whitechapel, Victoria Street, Castleyards, Thoms Street, White Street, George Street, Slater Street, Garrioch Street
5. Stromness south of pier head
6. Stromness north of pier head
7. Dounby
8. Finstown
9. Holm
10. St Margaret’s Hope
11. Westray
12. Stronsay
13. Longhope

6. Outstanding Liabilities to Orkney Islands Council

Applicants who have rent arrears on the lease of a Council house or garage, Council Tax arrears of any other liability to the Council will not be allowed to join the garage waiting list.

Prior to a garage being allocated a check will be run to ascertain if the prospective tenant has incurred any debt with the Council. If this is the case they will be informed that a garage will not be allocated until the debt has been cleared.

7. General Conditions

Garages will only be let for the purpose of storing a motor vehicle.

The lease can be terminated on one month’s notice by either party.

The garage will not be sub-let.

Orkney Islands Council shall have the right to terminate the let forthwith and to repossess the premises if the rent remains outstanding for a period of 28 days beyond the date of receipt of the invoice for payment.

8. Extenuating Circumstances

The Executive Director of Education, Leisure and Housing has the authority to waive the above restrictions in extenuating circumstances.