Social housing

• Fife Housing Group
• Glen Housing Association
• Kingdom Housing Association
• Ore Valley Housing Association
• Ochil View Housing Association
• Hillcrest Homes
• Dunedin Canmore Housing Association
• Caledonia Housing Association
• Cairn Housing Association
• Link Housing Association
• Horizon Housing Association

Social housing in Fife has limited availability. If you do choose to apply for social housing, you may wait a long time to be housed.

Mutual exchange

A mutual exchange (or 'swap') is when two tenants of either your own landlord, tenants of another Council, or tenants of a Housing Association, swap properties.

A swap can help you move quickly and you decide where you stay.

For more information, visit our Mutual exchange page.

Mid-market rent

Mid-market renting is for people who may be unable to access social housing or buy their own home.

Rent is usually lower than in the private rented sector, but higher than in social housing.

The following Housing Associations offer mid-market rentals:

• Kingdom Housing Association
• Ore Valley Housing Association

Contact them to find out more.

Transfer incentive scheme

The Transfer Incentive Scheme can help tenants who want to downsize or move for other reasons. The aim is to help tenants to move to more appropriate housing. Their homes can then be re-used to meet the needs of other families on the housing list.

Visit our Transfer Incentive Scheme page for more information.

Fife Housing register properties

The Fife Housing Register website has a handy tool to see where all the FHR partners have properties. 

Note: this is not a list of available properties.

You should use the FHR property map to look at:

• number of properties in each area
  
• size and type of property
  
• landlord type
  

This tool can help you add other areas of choice to your Fife Housing Register application. If you do not want to add more areas or property types, you may want to consider other housing options.

Housing for older people

Older Persons Housing might suit you if you want to live independently, but your home is no longer suitable for your needs.

We offer three types of housing for older people:

• Retirement
• Very Sheltered
• Extra Care Housing

For more information, visit our Older Persons Housing page.

Housing for specific needs groups

Housing for Specific Needs Groups is for those who require specific approaches, specific accommodation and/or specific support services.

Visit our Housing for Specific Needs Groups page for more information.

Private rent

Renting from a private landlord could be the right option for you. There are lots of different properties available:

• flats
• houses
• shared accommodation
• bedsits
• rooms rented out in the landlord's house

You will usually be expected to pay a deposit of one month’s rent, and a month’s rent in advance, before moving into the property.

You must be over the age of 16 to rent a property from a private landlord.

Fife Private Rental Solutions

Fife Private Rental Solutions provides advice and assistance to anyone interested in the private rented sector as a housing option.

Staff will discuss if this is an affordable option for you. They will advise on how to go about a property search, to find the perfect home for you.

The team can help you with your deposit too, using one of the deposit assistance schemes.

For more information, visit their website: Fife Private Rental Solutions.

You can also contact them:

Tel: 01592 201 849

Email: info@fprs.co.uk

www.facebook.com/FifePRS

Buying your own home

There is support available if you want to buy your own home.

Before you start looking for a property, you need to consider what you can afford. Make an appointment with a financial advisor who can discuss this with you.

Next steps to consider:

• decide what kind of mortgage you want
• find out which lender offers you the best deal
  
• look on property websites to see what's available within your budget
  
• find a solicitor who will help with home reports and important property details
  

Visit the Shelter Scotland - Buying a home webpage, for more information.

Help to Buy (Scotland) Scheme

The Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme can help some people buy a new-build home, without the need for a large deposit. More information about this scheme is available on the Scottish Government website.

Mortgage to rent

The Scottish Government may be able to help you if you own your home and face it being repossessed as a result of financial difficulties.

They operate two schemes:

• the Mortgage to Rent scheme
• the Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme

Visit the Scottish Government's Mortgage advice and guidance page for more information.