The figures, published by Scotland’s Chief Statistician, show that the average council rent in 2008-09 is £50.51 per week, ranging from £39.40 in Moray to £64.44 in Edinburgh. They also demonstrate that since 1997-98 council rents have risen in real terms by 1 per cent per year.

In terms of housing debt, councils predict a loss of around £18m in 2008-09 due to voids – 2.1 per cent of standard rent income and about the same level as last year.

Rent arrears represented 4.3 per cent of standard rental income in March of this year, varying widely between councils from about 1.1 per cent of standard rental income in West Lothian to 9.5 per cent in Aberdeen City.

Housing debt in Scotland is expected to increase by 5 per cent from March 2008 to March 2009. Across local authorities Shetland and Edinburgh have the highest debt at £26,857 per house and £14,517 respectively at March 2009. Orkney remains debt free and Falkirk has the lowest debt per house of all other councils at £1,969 per house.

Local authorities’ housing capital expenditure is projected to total over £505m in 2008-09, an increase of £51.9m or 11.4 per cent from the previous year.