The number of council homes let to people on West Lothian's waiting list has climbed again on last year's figures. After a significant improvement on the first three months in the year, councillors heard that figures from April to June were up on those for the same period last year.
Quarterly increase in lets
The turnover figures revealed to a meeting of the Housing Services PDSP showed 157 homes in the first quarter of the new financial year, 2026/27 between April and June. This compares to 147 for the same quarter last year. It is the second successive quarterly rise for the number of homes let.
In the first three months of this year, the council let 140 homes, up from 129 on the same period in 2025.
Reasons for improvement
The improving figures are down to a faster turnaround of empty homes returned to the council from a team built to tackle a backlog in void homes. Sarah Kelly, the Housing Needs Manager, told a meeting of the PDSP in Livingston: “This Increase in available lets is a result of there being a higher turnover of properties and repairs work being completed in more void properties compared to the same quarter last year.”
The communities with the highest percentage of total lets were Armadale with 17 lets; Bathgate and Broxburn with 13 lets; and Blackburn with 12 lets. Eleven communities had one mainstream property available to let - Addiewell, Blackridge, Deans, East Whitburn, Kirknewton, Mid Calder, Newton, Pumpherston, Stoneyburn, Uphall Station and Westfield.
Homeless lets and low turnover
During the quarter there were 18 communities, with a total of 981 council properties where no lets were recorded. Turnover remains low in many West Lothian communities as council tenancies are sustained.
More than half of the lets in the first quarter - 92, or 58% - went to those on the homeless list. Ms Kelly said: “Quarterly letting statistics show consistently that the highest percentage of all lets are made to those experiencing homelessness, which is reflective of the key objectives of the council Homeless Strategy, and the associated commitment of our Common Housing Registered Partners.”
