Housing Need and Demand Survey 2026

The Housing Need and Demand Survey is part of the wider planning process to ensure that the right number of homes are developed in Perth and Kinross in the short, medium and longer term. 

It will gather evidence on the number and type of homes required to meet the needs of residents and communities. This includes gathering information on the number of households living in homes which are not suitable for their needs, as well as the views of new or younger households.

The work will ensure that future plans to increase housebuilding are based on accurate information on the needs of residents.

Feedback provided will allow us and partners to make sure enough land is allocated for housebuilding, adequate funding is allocated for housing investment, and enough skills and labour is developed in the housebuilding industry. 

Over 800 telephone and face-to-face interviews will be carried out with a random sample of households across the area. The work is being carried out by professional market research company, Research Resource, and will run until 3 April 2026. If you have been chosen as one of the 800 interview households, you will receive a letter from us with information about the process. You can choose to opt out of the survey if you are picked this way.

An online survey is also open to all Perth and Kinross residents aged 16 years and over, you can access the survey via our Consultation Hub.

Alternatively, you can call Research Resource to provide your views on 0141 641 6410.

Frequently asked questions

What is a Housing Need and Demand Survey?

A Housing Need and Demand Survey is an important research study that all Councils in Scotland must carry out roughly every 5 years. The research findings from the survey will be used by us to develop the next Local Housing Strategy and a new Local Development Plan.

The survey provides the evidence needed to set targets for the number of new homes that need to be built in Perth and Kinross. This includes homes for rent by social and private landlords, as well as the number of new homes to be delivered by private housebuilders. It will also provide the evidence needed to plan for housing services that will support residents to find and keep a home in Perth and Kinross and to live well in their local communities. This includes housing services for people with health conditions or disabilities, as well as people who want to take up jobs in the Perth and Kinross area.

The Housing Need and Demand Survey also provides the evidence needed for the new Local Development Plan to make sure there is enough land allocated in the right places, to build the number of new homes required across the area.

Why is Perth and Kinross Council doing a Housing Need and Demand Survey?

Completing a Housing Need and Demand Survey is a legal requirement for us under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, and the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended by the Planning Scotland Act 2019.

The findings from the survey will be used to develop the next Local Housing Strategy and the new Local Development Plan, which are due for publication from 2028.

What does the term 'housing need and demand' actually mean?

Housing need refers to households lacking their own housing or living in housing which is not adequate or suitable for the needs of their household. Those in housing need are unlikely to be able to meet their needs in the housing market without some assistance.

Housing demand is the quantity and type of housing which households want to buy or rent and can afford.

An important part of the Housing Need and Demand Survey involves producing 'housing estimates', which set out the number of new homes the Council and partners will need to develop in the future. Estimates of housing need fall into two categories:

• future need which refers to households who will form their own household in the future and need housing, or those or moving into the Perth and Kinross region who will need housing
• existing need which refers to households currently living in unsuitable housing which cannot be adapted or improved to meet the needs of the household

The findings of the Housing Need and Demand Survey will provide broad estimates of what housing need might be over the next 20 years rather than a precise target.

How will the Housing Need and Demand Survey be carried out?

Carrying out the Housing Need and Demand Survey involves a significant amount of information gathering, statistical analysis, listening to local residents and also consulting with the partners who will be involved in delivering new homes and housing services.

Firstly it will look at changes to the Perth and Kinross population and economy to assess what these changes will mean for housing. The research will also look at the existing supply of homes available in Perth and Kinross, and whether these homes are able to meet housing need. This includes assessing what investment is needed in existing housing to improve its condition or suitability for households with health conditions or disabilities. The research will also look at the needs of key groups including older people, key workers, homeless households and those who might need special forms of housing.

At the heart of the research is a calculation of the number of new homes that will be needed in Perth and Kinross over the next 20 years. As well as statistical analysis, we will carry out a wide-ranging survey of local households to measure unmet housing need and future housing demand. This means asking Perth and Kinross residents to tell us about their current housing circumstances, the suitability of their homes and whether they, or members of their household will need alternative housing in the future.

What is the Housing Need and Demand Survey?

We are launching a Housing Need and Demand Survey of local households in February 2026. The survey will allow us to better understand the housing circumstances and needs of Perth and Kinross residents so that a good range of housing options can be delivered in the future. The results will help use plan for new housing and housing services, making sure the needs of all residents and communities are met.

To make sure that the results are accurate, we want to speak to residents across every part of Perth and Kinross and living in all types of housing, both rented and owned. To take part, respondents should be aged 16 years and over and be a main householder.

The survey will be open for 8 weeks and will close on 3 April 2026.

How will the survey be carried out?

We are using a professional market research agency called Research Resource to carry out the survey. Research Resource are Market Research Society Company Partners, operating to the MRS Code of Conduct and members of the MRS Interviewer Identification Scheme.

The survey is being carried out in a variety of ways:

• Research Resource will carry out 800 telephone interviews with households living across the Perth and Kinross Region. Households will be randomly selected to take part by us and if selected, will receive a letter from us confirming this. Selected households will then be contacted by Research Resource by telephone, unless they have chosen to opt out of the survey process. Households can also contact Research Resource to arrange a convenient time to take part.
• Households may also be selected to take part in a face-to-face interview. If this is the case, an interviewer from Research Resource will call at the homes of local residents during February to April 2026 to interview them if convenient (the interview should take around 30 minutes). The interviewer will have an identity card with their name and photograph, which they will show to residents before starting the interview. It is important that residents see and check this identity card before beginning the interview.
• Research Resource can be contacted by email at info@researchresource.co.uk or by calling 0141 641 6410.
• The sample has been carefully designed to make sure that all households, including those living in rural areas, towns and cities have a good opportunity to take part.
• An online survey open to all residents in Perth and Kinross who are aged 16 years and over and a main householder. The survey will take approximately 5 minutes to take part. Local residents will be able to access the survey via our Consultation Hub.
• The survey will be promoted on social media by us, local organisations like Community Councils and by big local employers.

What will happen to the information I provide?

The survey will be entirely confidential and will be treated in accordance with the Data Protection Act. Respondents can find out more about how Research Resource will treat the data in their Privacy Notice available on their website.

Once the research has been completed, Research Resource will provide a report on the findings to us. This will be completely anonymous, and they will not provide individual or identifiable feedback.

When will the survey results be made public?

Summary survey results will be made available on our website in autumn 2026.

When will the Housing Need and Demand Survey be published?

Before the Housing Need and Demand Survey can be published, we must submit the research to the Scottish Government who will assess whether the study meets their requirements. When the study passes this assessment, the Scottish Government will give it 'robust and credible' status, which means it can be used by us for planning the delivery of new homes and housing services.

The aim is to submit the Housing Need and Demand Survey study to the Scottish Government by December 2026. Following assessment, we will publish the Housing Need and Demand Survey on our website. This is anticipated to be early 2027.