Home > News > News: Scotland to bring in long-term rent controls

News: Scotland to bring in long-term rent controls

The Scottish government has pledged to introduce rent controls and new tenant rights in a major new housing bill.

Scotland already has a form of rent controls, as the government introduced a rent freeze and eviction ban in September 2022, before capping in-tenancy rate increases at 3% until 31 March next year.

First Minister Humza Yousaf announced, at the same time as pledging to invest £750 million in new affordable homes – 10% of which would be in rural and island communities.

He said: “Westminster’s cost-of-living crisis has left tenants vulnerable, made all the more difficult by a market that can’t support demand.

“The Scottish government will continue to work with vital stakeholders across landlord and tenant groups as it crafts a tailored approach to this crisis that suits Scotland’s unique needs.

“During the cost-of-living crisis, this government took prompt action to introduce emergency rent caps for most private tenants and to introduce additional protections against eviction.

“We’ve now laid legislation to ensure those measures will remain in place until 31st March next year.”

The Scottish government aims to build 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

Yousaf committed £60m to acquire empty properties to be converted into affordable housing, while he told MSPs the Scottish government would also give councils the power to hike council taxes on second homes.

John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords, said: “The biggest single issue for all parts of the housing sector in Scotland is lack of supply so the focus must be on investing in more social housing and encouraging investment in both the new build and private rented sector.

“Any proposal to introduce rent controls must be done in partnership with all parts of the housing sector and tenant representatives to ensure the final proposals are balanced.

“This measure should also be viewed as something which addresses short-term concerns until the longer-term measures needed to address Scotland’s housing crisis are implemented and shown to be effective.”

HICH LTD has continually raised the quality standards in the UK property survey market. Our multi-award-winning property survey service has made us the leading reference in the property survey market.

We offer property survey services of the highest quality. Using state-of-the-art equipment, we provide excellent property surveys at affordable prices. Our prices are based on the number of rooms rather than the value of the properties, so you will always get the best value for money with our services.

Please look at our Trustpilot page and see why customers have chosen us as their favourite property survey provider!

At HICH LTD, we work to serve our clients and make the world a better place for everyone. We actively collaborate with NGOs to promote environmental, social, and charitable causes. If you want to know more about our efforts or how you can help, contact us at admin@hich-ltd.co.uk.

HICH LTD extends a warm invitation to contractors and service providers throughout the UK to join our network; by joining the Contractors and Service Providers Network, you will enjoy benefits such as a significant increase in customer flow, advertising on our high-traffic website, and direct contact with thousands of customers in your postcode area. Find more information here or by following the QR code in the video.