ONE of Glasgow's biggest housing associations has warned board members not to 'use their position to their advantage' after it emerged some have acrued rent arrears.

Official documents show Maryhill Housing Association (MHA) tenant members, who are charged with helping ensure other tenants pay their rent, have run up arrears totalling £481 over the past two years.

The housing association oversees around 3000 homes in the North West of Glasgow.

Board papers state: "The tenancies of these Board Members are on normal terms and the members cannot use their position to their advantage.

"At the year-end total rent arrears owed by the tenant Board members were £275 (2019: £206)."

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A source said: "This is incredible as they are the people charged with telling tenants to pay their rent on time and keep the organisation on a sound financial footing.

"The fact that Board members are amassing ANY rent arrears is truly shocking."

In response, and despite the warning issued to tenant members, Chief Executive Bryony Willett said the unpaid rent was not 'true arrears.'

She said: "No Board Members as of the end of March 2020 were in ongoing or true rent arrears.

"All rent arrears were ‘technical arrears’ (caused by timing differences between when benefits are paid and rent is due because benefits are paid weekly and rent is due monthly).

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"Over two thirds of our customers are in receipt of financial support with their rent and the majority of their accounts show similar ‘technical arrears’ at different points of the year."

In July, the housing association launched two separate investigations after an alleged incident involving a board member led to a string of resignations and a leave of absence by the chairman.

The Chief Executive said one member resigned in response to the manner in which a “potential breach” by another was managed by the association.

The housing association was criticised in an independent report, which found the correct protocol had "largely been followed" but there were a few minor areas of improvement. 

Ms Wilett said: "Actions to address all improvement areas have now been agreed and will be implemented by the Board and senior officers. 

"They include updating the protocol to ensure that it is clear and easy to understand, clarifying the roles of the Chair and senior officers during investigations and providing additional Code of Conduct training for Board members."