Housing Regulator report published for Orkney Islands Council

The Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) has published its 2025/2026 annual ‘engagement plan’ for Orkney Islands Council’s Housing service. 

The SHR publishes a report on each social landlord across Scotland on an annual basis, setting out what they see as the main risks and challenges facing that landlord and how they intend to engage with the landlord to monitor those challenges.

The document for Orkney Islands Council is available at https://www.housingregulator.gov.scot/landlord-performance/landlords/orkney-islands-council/

Some of the risks that have been identified in the plan are relevant across all social landlords in Scotland and some are Orkney-specific.

One key issue that has been identified is that a number of Legionella risk assessments need to be completed within the Council’s housing stock.

The Council has this year awarded a new contract on water safety which covers all property types in the Council including social housing. A plan is now underway within the authority to complete this work – with monthly progress updates to be provided to the SHR.  

Tenants will be contacted in due course about any inspections or work that need to be carried out in their property. 

The Council has also been asked to; 

• engage with the SHR on any emerging issues which would preventing it from fulfilling its statutory duty to provide temporary accommodation when it should and comply with the Unsuitable Accommodation Order;  

• send the SHR monthly updates on its progress to validate and improve the quality of its data used to report compliance with the Scottish Housing Quality Standard 

• keep the SHR updated on progress with completing a full stock condition survey in 2026/27;  
• Engage with the SHR on the information they require about the actions Orkney Islands Council is taking to improve its performance on tenant satisfaction, repairs and rent arrears. 

The Scottish Housing Regulator has said it will meet with Orkney Islands Council before the end of July to discuss its homelessness service.

Gwenda Shearer, Chair of the Education, Leisure and Housing Committee said: “The Council is committed to delivering a high-quality housing service to all our tenants.  The work that is carried out by the Scottish Housing Regulator is hugely valuable to us, providing independent eyes and views on the work that we are doing and identifying areas for improvement.  

“Alongside colleagues from across the Council   - and of course our tenants and contractors - we are working hard to meet the intentions set by the engagement plan – and will continue to liaise with the Scottish Housing Regulator on this.”

The Scottish Housing Regulator are the independent regulator of social landlords in Scotland.  They regulate to safeguard and promote the interests of current and future tenants of social landlords, people who are or may become homeless, and people who use housing services provided by RSLs and local authorities.