Rent Levels for Council Housing
General Needs Housing
- The average Council house rent in Shetland in 2011/2012 is £61.04 a week. Rents vary according to the size of the property, whether it is in Lerwick or not and whether it has or does not have central heating and double glazing. The rents charged for properties with both central heating and double glazing are below.
| Number of Bedrooms | Area | 2011/2012 Charge |
| Bedsit | Lerwick | £37.56 |
| 1 | Lerwick | £50.30 |
| 2 | Lerwick | £62.38 |
| 3 | Lerwick | £75.12 |
| 4 | Lerwick | £87.53 |
| 5 | Lerwick | £100.27 |
| 6 | Lerwick | £112.68 |
| 7 | Lerwick | £125.09 |
| Number of Bedrooms | Area | 2011/2012 Charge |
| Bedsit | Outwith Lerwick | £35.68 |
| 1 | Outwith Lerwick | £47.78 |
| 2 | Outwith Lerwick | £59.26 |
| 3 | Outwith Lerwick | £71.36 |
| 4 | Outwith Lerwick | £83.15 |
| 5 | Outwith Lerwick | £95.25 |
| 6 | Outwith Lerwick | £107.04 |
| 7 | Outwith Lerwick | £118.83 |
Sheltered Housing
- The rents for sheltered housing units are as General Needs with a subsidised heating and lighting charge added to assist the vulnerable tenants who live in this type of accommodation. The 2011/2012 additional charges per week are:
1apt (Bedsit) = £10.90, 2apt (1 Bedroomed) = £14.45, 3apt (2 Bedroomed) = £17.35, 4apt (3 Bedroomed) = £20.10
Homeless Person Accommodation
- The rent charged to applicants in this type of housing is more than for general needs accommodation. This is because the charges have to cover the costs of managing the accommodation and providing furniture. Sometimes the charges will also include electricity and council tax. The rent and charges may also be different depending on the type of temporary housing provided. If a homeless application is made and an applicant is provided with temporary accommodation the Housing Officer will explain in detail about the charges.
Housing Benefit
- Anyone on a low income and paying rent for accommodation - whether from the Council, a Housing Association or any other public or private landlord - may be entitled to receive Housing Benefit. This can be enough to pay all or some of the rent due, depending on an assessment of the applicant's income sources and levels.
- Well over half of all the Council's sheltered housing tenants and over a third of the general needs tenants are in receipt of Housing Benefit. (Click here for details of the application process and assessment procedures).