Student Housing Complaints

The request was successful.

Dear Fife Council,
In regards to the FOI act I am writing to ask about policies in place to deal with complaints regarding student accommodation in the St Andrews area.

As a percentage, what proportion of housing in the St Andrews area have HMO's?

In the past 5 years (2010-2015) how many of these HMO properties have had complaints made against the residents living there at the time by members of the public? These complaints may include noise complaints and antisocial behaviour for example.

In the past 5 years how many complaints have Fife Council received in regards to residents living at 6 Nelson Street whilst it has been a HMO property? And what proportion of complaints does this property receive out of the total number of complaints received in regards to all HMO properties?

Thank you in advance for answering these questions. Please feel free to ask if anything needs clarifying.

Yours faithfully,

C. Keating

Fife Council

Good afternoon

Thank you for your email. This has been passed to your local office for their investigation and response. The Neighbourhood Officers for St Andrews is Tracy Duncan if you require an update.

Thank you for contacting Fife Council.

Regards

L Stewart
Customer Service
Fife Council

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________________________________________
From: C. Keating [[FOI #255780 email]]
Sent: 27 February 2015 14:11
To: Fife Council
Subject: Freedom of Information request - Student Housing Complaints

Dear Fife Council,
In regards to the FOI act I am writing to ask about policies in place to deal with complaints regarding student accommodation in the St Andrews area.

As a percentage, what proportion of housing in the St Andrews area have HMO's?

In the past 5 years (2010-2015) how many of these HMO properties have had complaints made against the residents living there at the time by members of the public? These complaints may include noise complaints and antisocial behaviour for example.

In the past 5 years how many complaints have Fife Council received in regards to residents living at 6 Nelson Street whilst it has been a HMO property? And what proportion of complaints does this property receive out of the total number of complaints received in regards to all HMO properties?

Thank you in advance for answering these questions. Please feel free to ask if anything needs clarifying.

Yours faithfully,

C. Keating

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Gemma Harrison, Fife Council

Dear C Keating,

 

Thank you for your information request dated and received 27^th February
2015; our reference: 9422.

 

The information you have requested is subject to the Environmental
Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, therefore, requires us under
Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 to apply exemption S39 (2)(a)
Health, Safety and the Environment, as the information is obliged by
regulations under S62 to make available to the public in accordance with
the regulation.

 

We will continue to proceed with your request under the Environmental
Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004, which allows us 20 working days
from the date after receipt of your original request.

 

If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your request, you
have the right to request a review of the decision. Please write to: Head
of Legal Services, Corporate Services, Fife House, North Street,
Glenrothes, KY7 5LT or e-mail to [1][email address]. The law
provides for you to make this request up to 40 working days from when you
receive this correspondence. We add a further three working days to allow
time for delivery of our response giving you up to 43 working days from
the date of this correspondence to ask for a review. Where the outcome of
the review fails to resolve the matter to your complete satisfaction you
have the right to apply to the Scottish Information Commissioner for a
decision.

 

Fife Council will consider and seek to resolve any request to the Head of
Legal Services that falls outside this timescale.

 

Regards,

 

Gemma

 

 

Gemma Harrison

Service InfoGov

 

[2]Fife Council - Association for Public Service Excellence Council of the
Year 2014

 

                

 

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References

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Gemma Harrison, Fife Council

Dear C Keating,

 

I refer to your information request dated and received 27^th February
2015; our reference: 9422.

 

Please see the response below. Information has been provided by Fife
Council Housing Services and Protective Services.

 

1. As a percentage, what proportion of housing in the St Andrews area have
HMO's?

Based on 6,462 residential properties in St Andrews and 662 HMO licences
currently in force including university properties:

 

10.24%.

2. In the past 5 years (2010-2015) how many of these HMO properties have
had complaints made against the residents living there at the time by
members of the public? These complaints may include noise complaints and
antisocial behaviour for example.

Based on the ‘Uniform’ electronic system where all complaints relating to
residential properties in Fife are held and using the search parameters
available, Fife Council is unable to provide the information you
requested. However for assistance we can advise:

 

a) Searches on Uniform for ‘HMO properties’ by ‘KY16’ postcode area*:

2010 – 93

2011 – 47

2012 – 31

2013 – 97

2014 – 58

2015 – 4

* ‘HMO' search statistics relate to possible unlicensed HMOs, HMO advice
and enquiries, objections, condition of building or gardens/refuse at
HMOs, HMO guidance and legislation, HMO application advice etc.

Uniform is unable to run searches by town.

 

b) Searches on Uniform for domestic noise complaints for ALL residential
properties by ‘KY16’ postcode area (unable to identify HMO properties
only.)

2010 – 178

2011 – 140

2012 – 145

2013 – 175

2014 – 170

2015 – 48

 

Uniform is unable to run searches by town or identify HMO licensed
properties.

3. In the past 5 years how many complaints have Fife Council received in
regards to residents living at 6 Nelson Street whilst it has been a HMO
property? And what proportion of complaints does this property receive out
of the total number of complaints received in regards to all HMO
properties?

One complaint has been received in regards to 6 Nelson Street, St Andrews
in the last 5 years.

We are unable to provide a proportion of complaints this property has
received as per the reasons given in our response to Q2.

 

I trust this is of assistance.

 

I would like to draw your attention to the copyright situation in relation
to the material.

 

The Council holds the copyright for all of the material provided and it
may be reproduced free of charge in any format or media without requiring
specific permission. This is subject to the material not being used in a
derogatory manner or in a misleading context. The source of the material
must be acknowledged as Fife Council when being reproduced as part of
another publication or service.

 

If you are not satisfied with the way we have handled your request or the
information provided, you have the right to request a review of the
decision. Please write to: Head of Legal Services, Corporate Services,
Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, KY7 5LT or e-mail to
[1][email address]. The law provides for you to make this request
up to 40 working days from when you receive this correspondence. We add a
further three working days to allow time for delivery of our response
giving you up to 43 working days from the date of this correspondence to
ask for a review. Where the outcome of the review fails to resolve the
matter to your complete satisfaction you have the right to apply to the
Scottish Information Commissioner for a decision.

 

Regards,

 

Gemma

 

Gemma Harrison

Service InfoGov

 

 

[2]Fife Council - Association for Public Service Excellence Council of the
Year 2014

 

                

 

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References

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