The Aims of Midlothian Tenants Forum

Our aims are to promote tenant participation, to raise the profile of the Midlothian Tenants Forum and encourage other tenants to get involved.

Benefits to tenants

We hope to be as representative of Midlothian Council tenants as possible, so we can make your views known to the Council.  By joining the Forum you’ll help us do just that.  However, there are many benefits of getting involved. 

• Staff and councillors are better informed
• Greater tenant satisfaction when tenants are able to have a say in the services received
• More choice and influence in decisions taken about the future of their own homes and environment
• Opening up new methods of communication with staff and councillors
• It can benefit Midlothian as a whole if tenants are involved the way decisions are taken about their homes.   

Background

The Midlothian Tenants Forum is a Registered Tenant Organisation (RTO).  It is a Council wide tenant organisation representing Council tenants.  The Forum receives support from Midlothian Council, who has employed the services of the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (Scotland), to support the Forum and provide training for their committee members.  Midlothian Council provides additional support for the Forum by funding the annual tenant conference and the tenant newsletter.      

As a registered tenant organisation, the Forum has legal rights to be consulted before changes are made to housing policies that affect tenants.  The Council also has a duty to provide information to the Forum on housing services, such as repairs and maintenance and setting of rent levels.