Welcome to Ayrshire Housing’s Winter Newsletter!
As we approach the colder months, I want to take this opportunity to thank all our customers and partners for your continued support and engagement throughout the year. Winter brings its own challenges, but also a chance to reflect on our progress and share important updates that matter to you.
This edition is packed with practical advice and new initiatives designed to help you stay safe, save money, and make the most of your home:
• Housing Perks: We’re excited to remind you about the Housing Perks app, which offers exclusive discounts at over 100 national retailers—including Asda, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, and Argos.
• Property Care – Escape of Water: With colder weather, the risk of burst pipes and leaks increases. We’ve included essential tips to help you prevent water damage and advice on what to do if you experience a problem.
• EV Charging: As more tenants consider electric vehicles, we’re sharing updates on charging points and how you can access support for greener travel.
Our commitment remains to provide safe, comfortable, and affordable homes. We’re always looking for ways to improve, whether through new support initiatives, sustainability efforts, or listening to your feedback. If you have any questions or suggestions, please reach out—we value your voice.
Wishing you a safe and warm winter,
Lesley-Anne Junner Chief Executive
Housing Perks
Have you signed up to Housing Perks yet?
The Housing Perks app offers discounts at over 100 national retailers including Asda, Sainsburys, Morrisons and Argos. The app is free for our customers, and the exclusive discounts can offer savings of between 4% and 8%. You can either use these savings to pay less for your shopping, or you can use them to contribute towards your rent. Simply download the app, sign up using your tenant reference number and start saving!
Download the app here https://www.yourhousingperks.com/download-the-app. If you’re unsure of your tenant reference number, you can find this on your My Home account.
Move to Digital
This report is digital by standard which helps us to provide value for money for tenants and reduces our impact on the environment. We will continue to make this report available on our website www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk and on https://myhome.ayrshirehousing.org.uk However, if you would like a paper copy, please contact our office.
We are always here to help:
Call: 01292 880120
Text: 07860 020 459
Email: info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk
Web: www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/company/ayrshire-housing
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ayrshirehousing
Other Formats
Equality & Human Rights Statement
We are committed to promoting an environment of respect and understanding where diversity is encouraged, and discrimination is avoided. This commitment covers all areas of our work, as an employer of staff, as a landlord and provider of services. A copy of our Equality and Human Rights Policy can be found at www. ayrshirehousing.org.uk.
On request, we can provide translations of all our documents, policies and procedures in various languages or other formats such as large print, Braille etc. These can be obtained by contacting our office.
Development News - Green Street, Ayr
Building work began on our latest development in September and is due to complete in January 2027.
The site, situated on the corner of Green Street and North Harbour Street in Ayr will provide 32 one and two bedroom flats. Some of the flats
will be designed specifically for wheelchair users and people with mobility issues.
The images below show an artist’s impression of how the finished development will look (below left) and a recent photo (below right).
Ayrshire Housing Targets Net Zero with Rural Retrofit Programme
Seventeen homes in Crosshill and Barr are set for major energy upgrades as part of Ayrshire Housing’s Rural Retrofit Programme. Backed by £256,000 from the Scottish Government’s Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, the project aims to cut emissions and improve energy efficiency.
What’s planned?
• All properties will receive cavity wall and loft insulation, triple-glazed windows, and insulated doors.
• Nine homes in Crosshill will also benefit from Air Source Heat Pumps, solar panels, and battery storage.
The total investment will exceed £500,000, reducing energy bills for tenants and supporting Scotland’s goal of net zero emissions by 2045. The properties were chosen for their rural location and high energy inefficiency, and performance will be monitored to guide future projects.
Properties
Escape of Water
Escape of water is the leading cause of home insurance claims in the UK.
Common Causes
• Burst pipes or joints.
• Leaks from appliances, bathrooms, or kitchens.
• Poor maintenance of sealants and grout.
• Freezing pipes.
• Improper disposal of waste (e.g., wipes, fats).
Prevention Tips
Do:
Know where your stopcock is and how to turn it off. Test it works twice a year. Ensure you prevent excessive quantities of water from spilling onto bathroom floors from washing, bathing or showering, where the floor is not designed for such purposes. Report any issues to our Property Services Team.
Don’t:
Ignore that dripping tap!
Leave water supply on during long holidays.
Discard nappies, wet wipes or cotton buds down the toilet.
Discard cooking fat down the sink.
Stand on toilets or sinks.
Renovate without informing Ayrshire Housing.
What to do if there is a problem
• Isolate water supply immediately.
• Contact our Property Services Team.
• Take photos and preserve damaged items.
• Ensure you have contents insurance (landlord’s insurance covers structure only).
We have included some more information on the back page about frozen/burst pipes.
Tenant Safety Compliance - Legionella
IWS Water Hygiene are currently carrying out water hygiene risk assessments in some of our properties. If you have received a letter or a call from IWS or Ayrshire Housing, it is important that you provide access for the assessment which should take approx. one hour. If the appointment doesn’t suit, it can be rearranged to accommodate you, if required.
EV Charging - Electric Vehicle & Charging Points
Do I need permission to have an EV Charger Installed?
Yes, Ayrshire Housing own your property, so like any other alterations to your home, you would need to fill in a permission form. The easiest way to do this is via our Tenant Portalhttps://myhome.ayrshirehousing.org.uk
You also must already have designated offstreet parking. This means you will only be granted permission if you currently have a dropped kerb outside of your property.
Who can install my charger?
An EV charger must be installed by an approved contractor who is registered with a competent person’s scheme (SELECT or NICEIC). This must be installed in accordance with Health and Safety Regulations and comply with all electrical standards as per BS7671|ET.
Wiring Regulations
Installed EV’s must also have a residual current device (RCD). The installation should allow the
charger to operate at full capacity. The installers should also notify the Distribution Network Operator of the installation so they can ensure adequate power quality.
Can I still have an EV charger installed if I live in a flat?
Ayrshire Housing cannot give permission to install an EV charger in flats. This is because we don’t assign individual parking spaces to tenants and you cannot place charging cables over pavements as this is illegal and poses a safety risk.
Electric Vehicle Charging
There are numerous other ways that you can charge your vehicle. These include chargers at your workplace, sharing friend's or family or using one of the many charge points within your local authority. You can view charge places online at Chargeplacescotland.org
Properties
Thinking About Installing CCTV or a Video Doorbell?
If you’re planning to install CCTV, a Ring doorbell, or any audio/video recording device at your home, you must get written permission from Ayrshire Housing first. If you fail to notify us, you may be in breach of your tenancy agreement.
Why You Need Permission
• You’re not allowed to make changes to your home (like installing CCTV) without written approval.
• If you install something without permission, you may be asked to remove it and fix any damage—at your own cost.
• You might be eligible for compensation for approved improvements. Check your Tenant Handbook for details. This can be found in the My Home portal at https://myhome. ayrshirehousing.org.uk under My Tenancy.
Using CCTV Responsibly
Before installing, ask yourself:
• Do I really need CCTV, or would better lighting help?
• Can I position the camera to avoid filming neighbours or shared/public spaces?
• Do I need to record footage, or is a live view enough?
• Does my system record sound? (Audio recording is very intrusive.)
If you’re trying to deal with anti-social behaviour, please report it to your Housing Officer and if it’s criminal activity contact Police Scotland.
Your Legal Responsibilities
If your CCTV captures images beyond your property boundary, such as your neighbour’s property, communal areas or public streets and footpaths, then your use of the system is subject to data protection laws. This doesn’t mean you are breaking the law, but it does mean that, as the CCTV user, you are a data controller. This means that you will need to comply with your legal obligations as a data controller under the data protection laws. You can still capture images, but you need to show you are doing it in ways that comply with the data protection laws and uphold the rights of the people whose images you are capturing.
• Ensure that you limit how long you keep the footage for, so it is kept for no longer than is required.
• Put up signs to let people know recording is taking place.
• Only record what’s necessary—don’t capture more than you need.
• Keep recordings secure—make sure only people with a valid reason can view them.
Places
Good Neighbour Award COMPETITION TIME!
Do you have a neighbour who is one in a million or goes above and beyond to help? Maybe they bring your bins in or look out for an elderly neighbour. They could win our Good Neighbour Award.
Nominations can be made on My Homehttps://myhome.ayrshirehousing.org.uk (our online tenant portal) or you can email your nomination to us at info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk and tell us who you want to nominate and what makes them a great neighbour.
People
Photography competition
Calling all budding photographers! We are in the process of refurbishing our office and would love to display some pictures of local landscapes or landmarks to brighten our walls!
Why not get out and about during these dark winter months and capture some Autumn leaves or an impressive sunset.
We will pick the top 10 photos to frame and display in our office. Winners will receive a £20 gift voucher and as well as having your artwork displayed, it will feature in our next edition of Ayrshire Housing News!
To enter:
• Please email your image to info@ayrshirehousing.org.uk or upload it to your My Home (www.ayrshirehousing.org.uk/ your-home/) account by no later than Friday 16th January 2026
• Your image can be taken with a camera or smartphone and should be a jpg or png file. The resolution should be high enough to allow us to enlarge your image ready for printing.
• Competition is open to all Ayrshire Housing customers and children.
Your Feedback Matters!
Customer Satisfaction - The Results are In!
We recently commissioned Research Resource to carry out a customer satisfaction survey. A total of 680 face to face interviews were carried out with our customers. We are delighted to say that satisfaction levels have
increased across all areas in 2025 compared to the 2022 survey. The below results also show that our customers are generally more satisfied with our performance than the Scottish average, reported in the 2024/25 Annual Return on the Charter for all Scottish Social Landlords.
Overview of Customer Satisfaction Survey Results - October 2025
Ayrshire Housing Tenant Satisfaction Survey 2007-2025
Taking everything into account, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the overall service provided by Ayrshire Housing as your landlord? (% very/ fairly satisfied)
How good or poor do you feel Ayrshire Housing is at keeping you informed about their services and decisions? (%very good/ fairly good)
How satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the opportunities given to you to participate in Ayrshire Housing‘s decision making process? (% very/ fairly satisfied)
Thinking about the LAST time you had repairs carried out, how satisfied or dissatisfied were you with the repairs service provided by Ayrshire Housing? (% very/ fairly satisfied
Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with the quality of your home? (% very/ fairly satisfied)
Overall, how satisfied or dissatisfied are you with your landlord’s contribution to the management of the neighbourhood you live in? (% very/ fairly satisfied
Taking into account the accommodation and services Ayrshire Housing provides, to what extent do you think that the rent for this property represents good or poor value for money? Is it… (% very good value/ fairly good value)
People
Staff news
Gillian Grant
Gillian has recently joined the team in the newly created Housing Assistant role. She works alongside Meghan Simpson dealing with a range of housing enquiries and supporting the Housing Officers.
Halloween dress up to help raise funds for local charity
When we said to our staff they could dress up for Halloween, they did not disappoint!! We had the Pink Ladies from Grease, a collection of bats and even Where’s Wally! We asked staff to make a donation to a brilliant local charity, The Night Before Christmas Campaign (www.nightbeforechristmas.co.uk).
NBCC was started in 2015 when a local girl asked her mum if all children receive a night before Christmas box like she did. That Christmas, the small team collected and distributed 95 boxes. The charity has continued to grow and last year over 8,000 bags of joy were given out to local children.
CIH Scotland Housing Awards
We were delighted to attend the CIH Scotland Housing Awards recently. Our Hallrig Heights development in Tarbolton was nominated for Affordable Housing Development of the Year. Unfortunately, we missed out on an award this year, however it's great that the development received the recognition it deserves.
CX Feedback
- Transforming our Customer Engagement
We use CX Feedback to share important information about your property or community and to collect your feedback through short surveys.
How will you receive messages?
• Text messages will appear from ‘Ayrshire HA
• Emails will come from ‘Ayrshire Housing
• All messages will include Ayrshire Housing’s recognisable branding.
• Links will come from cxfb.co.uk. These links are safe to click and will direct you to surveys and more information. If you’re unsure or anything seems suspicious, please contact our office.
Repairs Satisfaction Surveys through CX Feedback
After completing a repair within your home, we will send you a short satisfaction survey, by text or email, asking for feedback on the work carried out. Your feedback is important to us and helps us to make improvements to our service and can also highlight what is working well.
Ayrshire Housing is delighted to announce that we have appointed a door contractor to oversee the Window and Door renewal programmes for this year.
Your property is scheduled to receive new external doors as part of this programme. You may see Sidey Contractors in the area in the next few weeks as they take measurements and make access arrangements.
Sidey will inform you directly of the installation dates for your new doors. In the meantime, we have included an information leaflet on Window and Door Installations for your reference. If you have any queries or concerns, please feel free to get in touch with us on 01292 880 120
Secure access 24 hours a day, 7 days a week
You can register through our website or contact our office to request an email link which is valid for 24 hours.
✔ Pay your rent and view your rent account. My Home is safe and secure. No bank details are held on My Home and payments are made through a secure online gateway.
✔ Report a repair.
✔ Manage your tenancy and household details online.
✔ Send and receive documents.
✔ Fill in permission forms.
You experienced performance issues with the landscape maintenance contractor.
We continue to look at ways to improve communication with our contractors.
We will introduce more detailed communication around timescales and arrangements for programmed works. We continue to work with our contractor to improve the communications ensuring our tenants are kept in the loop. You felt there was not enough communication in advance of planned works to your kitchen. You were unhappy with the length of time taken to complete your repair.
Processes Christmas Office Closure 2025
Our office will close on Wednesday 24th December at 12.30pm and will reopen on Tuesday 6th January 2026 at 9am.
Our repairs contractor James Frew will be working throughout the festive period and will be available to deal all emergency and non-emergency repairs. You can contact them on 01294 468113.
If you need to make a rent payment while
During the winter months, extremely cold temperatures can cause water pipes to freeze and possibly burst. Things you can do to help prevent frozen pipes:
• Keep your home heated as much as possible, the ideal indoor temperature is between 18 and 21 °C.
• Keep internal doors slightly open to allow air to circulate around your home.
• Keep the cupboard door under the sink slightly open, to let air reach the pipes.
If you do get a burst pipe:
• Place a container at the site of the leak to try to control the escaping water.
• Turn off the water at the stopcock.
• Isolate your electrics at the fuse box.
• Be aware of where your stopcock is located so that you can switch off the water in the event of a burst pipe.
• Have home contents insurance to protect your belongings.
• If you have no water through your cold taps, check with Scottish Water for a loss of supply in your area by calling 0800 077 8778.
• Alert any neighbours that could also be affected.
• Report an emergency repair by calling our contractor James Frew on 01294 468113.
the office is closed, you can do this on the My Home portal.