Housing Improvement Programme

Improvement works are upgrades we do to your home as part of a 4-year Housing Improvement Programme (HIP). Year 4 of the first HIP programme, (HIP1) is almost completed.

HIP2, our next works programme, is being tendered and contractors will be appointed in 2025. There will then be some time at the beginning of HIP2 while the contractors prepare and therefore works in tenants’ homes will start in early 2026. If you are due upgrades in HIP2 we will write to you well before the works start, just as soon as we know who your contractor will be. 

HIP1 and HIP2 are part of our 30-year business plan which allows us to plan for improving our council houses and flats. This planning helps us to meet statutory requirements such as the Social Housing Net Zero Standard.

We must do these works to meet our obligations to you, about the quality and safety of your home, and to meet those standards set by the Scottish Government. Please play your part and accept the improvements we need to do and to make each HIP a success.

HIP 1 contractors

There have been 4 contractors operating in 4 different areas:

• Sureserve Energy Services UK Limited (formerly Everwarm Limited) - North Aberdeenshire
• Kier Construction  - East Aberdeenshire
• MPS Housing Limited - Central Aberdeenshire
• Bancon Construction Ltd - South Aberdeenshire 

Types of improvement work

The main types of improvement works included in the HIP are upgrades to:

• kitchens
• bathrooms
• heating systems
• doors
• windows
• wall insulation (cavity and external)
• rewiring
• re-roofing
• dormer window
• communal door entry
• solar photovoltaic (PV) roof panels 

We can also carry out Internal Wall Insulation to those homes that need it, but only when they are unoccupied during a void period.

Tenant Guide to all upgrades

Our Tenant Guide: All upgrade works (PDF 4MB) provides you with information about the different types of upgrades and what will happen during the works.

Tenant satisfaction survey

Every month several tenants, who have works carried through the HIP, are randomly selected and asked to complete a phone survey by consultants IBP: Strategy and Research. 

April 2024 to March 2025 annual results

Only a small survey number this annual period. HIP1 is nearly finished, with few works remaining. 252 tenants completed the survey.

77% of tenants rated their experience of having improvements carried out in their homes as good or very good. 14% rated their experience as poor or very poor.

The three HIP contractors still working received the following rating of good or very good:

• Sureserve (north area) - 69%
• Keir (east area) - 86%
• MPS (central area) - 82%

The tenant guide provided by the council scored 100% for both useful information, design and layout and clarity of information.

27% of tenants complained to their contractor: 49% of them were dissatisfied with the response and 32% were satisfied.