Anyone who is 16 years old and over may apply for a house by completing a Highland Housing Register (HHR) Application Form which is available from our office or any other HHR partner landlord.
The Association is one of six main providers of rented accommodation in the Highlands who have joined forces to make it easier for applicants to access housing. The Highland Council, together with five Registered Social Landlords operating in the Highlands - Albyn Housing Society, Cairn Housing Association, Lochalsh & Skye Housing Association, Lochaber Housing Association and Pentland Housing Association - have produced a single Housing Register. This means that people who want to be housed in the Highlands will only have to fill in a single form. Click here to link to The Highland Council website to see more details on the Highland Housing Register.
To complete a Highland Housing Register Application Form, please contact this Association or any other partner landlord. Click here for contact details of the partner Housing Associations.
In addition to the main partners, 5 other landlords (who have some housing in the Highlands), will participate in the Highland Housing Register in that they will ask us to put forward applicants for some of their vacancies in the Highlands. Click here for contact details for these 5 landlords. Much of their housing stock is for particular groups of people, for example, elderly people. However, of these 5 Associations, Trust, Hanover and Link also have their own housing lists and you can apply to them direct.
Priority is given to people with high levels of housing need and this is assessed in accordance with the Highland Housing Register's Allocations Policy. Click here to see the Allocations Policy. Click here to apply online - this will take you to The Highland Council's website. Please see step by step guidance on how to complete your application.
Rightsizing Scheme Policy
The Rightsizing Scheme is an incentive designed to help make best use of social rented stock in Highland by increasing the supply of family sized and accessible homes available for re-let through the Highland Housing Register (HHR). Please click here for a link to the policy.
Short term and holiday letting
Scotland has seen a huge increase in the number of homes or rooms available for short term and holiday lets. Increasingly we are hearing that tenants from local authorities and housing associations are sub-letting all or part of their homes.
In accepting a tenancy you must use the house as your only or principal home. You must tell us as soon as there is a change in those who are living in your house. If we ask, you must tell us who is living in the house.
You and anyone living with you must not run any kind of business from the house without written permission from us. Should you sub-let a room in your property without our permission, this would constitute a breach of tenancy and could result in legal actions being brought against you.
Lochalsh and Skye Housing Association will not authorise the use of our properties for holiday or short term lets as part of any type of business. Such use would be regarded as a breach of tenancy. This may result in anyone using their property unlawfully, at risk of losing their home through legal action. In all cases the Association would further pursue all legal costs. If you would like further information, please contact our Housing Services staff.
If you would like details of our New Supply (Shared Equity) Scheme, please contact Lesley Kirkwoood, Legal Services Manager, on 01478 612035.
What happens when I apply?
When you submit your form to us, it will be assessed and you will be awarded points in accordance with the information you have provided. The number of points you score will determine your priority on the housing list. We will advise you of your points entitlement within 21 days of receiving your Form. The Highland Housing Register Allocation Policy is purely housing-needs based. This means that the applicant with the highest assessed housing need when a property is available for let will be offered the property.
The length of time you may have to wait to be housed will depend not only on your points total but also on the availability of suitable accommodation for you in the locations you have chosen to live in and the number of other applicants on the list.
What if I am homeless?
If you are homeless, or threatened by homelessness, you should contact The Highland Council straight away. They can give you advice and information and may be able to prevent you from becoming homeless.
You can also get free impartial and confidential advice from the Citizens' Advice Bureau, or from Shelterline. Please click here to see details of how to get in touch with these organisations.