Housing Revenue Account (HRA) Statistics: Scottish Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure 1997-98 to 2022-23 (near actuals) & 2023-24 (budgeted estimates)

1. Key Findings

Council housing income and expenditure - total HRA housing income was £1.35bn in 2022-23, of which £828m was spent on the supervision, management and maintenance of housing and £288m on loan charges. This left a surplus of £180m which was transferred to the council’s housing capital expenditure account to invest in new council houses and stock improvements.

Council housing stock and rents - there were 317,554 council houses in Scotland as at March 2023. This is an increase of 1,535 houses since March 2022. Average rent per house was £79.07 per week in 2022-23, up by £1.86 on 2021-22.

Management and maintenance of stock - average expenditure on management and maintenance was £2,567 per house in 2022-23. Within this supervision and management costs were £1,011 per house. Repairs and maintenance costs were £1,556 per house.

Empty properties and rent arrears - councils lost £37m due to all empty properties in 2022-23 or 2.8% of rental income on these properties. Rent arrears on all council properties was £114m, up £12.47m (12.3%) on last year, representing 8.6% of rental income on these properties. Arrears have risen steadily since March 2013.

Housing debt - in 2022-23 councils spent £288m on loan charges to the HRA (interest, capital repayment and loan fund expenses). Total estimated council housing debt stood at £4.98bn in 2022-23 an increase of £408m (8.9%) on last year. The money is used to improve and build council housing.