Rent Controls likely in Edinburgh!

Rent Controls likely in Edinburgh!

14:46 PM, 27th April 2017, About 7 years ago 9

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Shelter Scotland and the Green Party are now calling for Rent Controls to be introduced in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Government has so far implemented every suggestion that Shelter has had for the Private Rental Sector whilst The Green party are currently the kingmakers in The Scottish Parliament so very influential. As housing is a devolved issue governed by The Scottish parliament then it is very likely that Rent Control for Edinburgh will be introduced.

So how did Edinburgh rents get to the stage where they spiraled out of control and needed Rent Control? Rents in Edinburgh were below inflation from 2008 to 2014 but have now risen very steeply (probably as a result of interventions in the market by the Scottish Government and championed by Shelter and The Green party).

Now Shelter are pushing for similar policies to be introduced in England and Wales e.g. Ban on letting agent fees but refuse to acknowledge that it is their policies that have caused rents to spiral out of control.

In my opinion Shelters interventions in the market are poorly thought through and if implemented will lead to the introduction of Rent Control throughout the country.

Rent control is implemented in Stockholm and has been a complete disaster with waiting lists of over 20 years and illegal subletting being the norm.

http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/our-region/edinburgh/edinburgh-rent-control-backing-for-tight-controls-on-landlords-1-4413101

http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20160517-this-is-one-city-where-youll-never-find-a-home

Arnie


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Comments

Neil Patterson

14:49 PM, 27th April 2017, About 7 years ago

And rent controls are a raging certainty if Labour were to win the election.

Arnie Newington

17:10 PM, 27th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Neil Patterson" at "27/04/2017 - 14:49":

I think it's safe to say that Labour will not win the election.

The Tories also seem to think that pandering to Shelter and Generation Rent will win them favor with Tenants (which it wont).

terry sullivan

10:40 AM, 28th April 2017, About 7 years ago

shelter should not have charitable status--its a political group

Jennifer Aniston

17:56 PM, 28th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Arnie Newington" at "27/04/2017 - 17:10":

'Labour won't win the next election'. Is that in the same way that Corbyn won't win the leadership contest, we won't vote to leave Europe and Donald Trump won't become US President?

Nothing is a sure thing anymore. The world is in chaos.

Gary Dully

9:45 AM, 29th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Pamela Potter" at "28/04/2017 - 17:56":

Corbyn won because the labour leader is voted in by activists.
The ones that are at the meetings on cold, damp Tuesday evenings are the Trotsky lefties, the more rational folk are watching the one show and don't turn up.

It was the same with Militant Tendancy in the eighties, it's just come full circle again.

Jennifer Aniston

10:54 AM, 29th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Gary Dully" at "29/04/2017 - 09:45":

I am sure you're right Gary, the point I was making was that it seems pointless to predict. From the article I read yesterday apparently the 'one showers' are now stepping up and registering to vote so despite what the pollsters are saying about Theresa May being the most popular PM since whoever, nothing is guaranteed any more. Ask Cameron how is referendum went because I'm sure when he called the referendum he did so in the certain knowledge that remain would win by a landslide.

After Trump's election it was pretty clear that polls are pointless. Nothing is guaranteed. I wouldn't rule out a Corbyn victory. This may have been May's worst decision to date (apart from not withdrawing Section 24 obviously!).

Pam

Dr Rosalind Beck

13:09 PM, 29th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Hi Arnie.
It would be worth you taking a look at this:

https://iea.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/The-key-to-affordable-housing-PDF.pdf

It is a very good report written by Kristian Niemitz - who is a close colleague of Professor Philip Booth, who has been a great ally in the campaign against Section 24. Amongst other things he points out how so-called academics like Danny Dorling like to call for rent controls without presenting any argument regarding how they would work and without basing this call on any analysis of how they have worked or not worked elsewhere. Niemitz points out how despite this calling for rent caps is always a populist policy because people don't understand the massive problems with them.

Arnie Newington

20:07 PM, 29th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Thanks for the article it is good that in England and Wales there are people acting pro actively to protect the market from Socialists.

Unfortunately in Scotland we tend to have organisations that are reactive and lots of socialists.

The rental market worked well for tenants but the Socialists wanted to intervene. The Govt. commissioned surveys showing that tenants were happy but then implemented every half baked idea on the flimsiest of evidence.

Now the market is a mess and tenants are struggling with affordability. The politicians have two choices to reduce rent either deregulate the market (which I would do) or bring in rent controls which the Socialists will do.

It does though annoy me when the Socialists claim that policies they have introduced in Scotland have been a success when tenants now have an affordability crisis in Scotland that they never had before and it has been caused by the Socialists.

Dr Rosalind Beck

21:26 PM, 29th April 2017, About 7 years ago

Reply to the comment left by "Arnie Newington" at "29/04/2017 - 20:07":

Yes, Annie. It looks like you're going backwards up there and I wouldn't be at all surprised if something similar happens in Wales where housing is also devolved. And we have the Joseph Rowntree report holding Ireland up as a model to be emulated when it's the opposite. We do not have the most intelligent people governing us unfortunately.

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