Scotland looks set to extend rent freeze and eviction ban

Scotland looks set to extend rent freeze and eviction ban

10:07 AM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago 17

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Landlords and property investors in Scotland have hit out after the Scottish Government recommended that the current rent freeze and eviction ban be extended.

Patrick Harvie MSP, the minister for Tenants’ Rights delivered a statement to the Scottish Parliament on the Cost of Living (Tenant) Protection (Scotland) Act 2022.

His report is a requirement under the legislation and covers the period 28 October 2022 to 31 December 2022.

In his statement, the minister said that the unprecedented economic challenges are continuing to impact tenants and that after reviewing the situation, ministers are satisfied that the moratorium on evictions and the cap on rents in the private rented sector will continue until at least the end of March.

Ban on social housing rent rises will be lifted

However, the ban on social housing rent rises will be lifted in April because an agreement between the government, housing associations and councils will see any rent rise being below inflation levels of 11.1%.

Landlords in Scotland will also be alarmed to hear that the minister admitted that he is developing long term proposals for rent controls that will be designed to continue after the Cost of Living Act has expired.

Timothy Douglas, Propertymark’s head of policy and campaigns, said: “Once again, the Scottish Government has failed to acknowledge what is happening in the private rented sector and the damage that legislation capping rents is causing.

“Unlike for providers of social rented accommodation, there has been no task and finish group for the private rented sector to formally raise our concerns.”

‘Planned future legislation for the private rented sector’

He added: “Alarmingly, the Minister also failed to acknowledge the impact of planned future legislation for the private rented sector that also includes energy efficiency targets that many landlords will struggle to afford.”

Mr Harvie says that the rent freeze for private landlords in Scotland is ‘necessary and proportionate’.

He added that the ‘unprecedented economic challenges are continuing to impact acutely on those who rent their home’ and that the measures will be kept under review.

In response, the Scottish Property Federation says ministers are ignoring ‘the serious damage that this legislation is doing to the long-term supply’ of rented homes and the rent freeze will ‘deter much needed investment to provide modern, energy-efficient rented accommodation in Scotland’.

‘Rapidly becoming an unmitigated disaster’

Scottish Conservative Miles Briggs, the social justice, housing, and local government shadow secretary, said that the emergency rent freeze, which is backed by the SNP, Greens and Labour, is ‘rapidly becoming an unmitigated disaster’.

He added that the Scottish Conservatives warned about the impact on destabilising the social and private housing sectors which is now driving the housing crisis in Scotland.

The MSP also warned that landlords in Scotland will have no idea what rents they will be able to set from April – creating uncertainty for both landlords and tenants.


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Comments

TheBiggerPicture

11:25 AM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

Where is the minister for landlords rights?
Or better yet do they have any rights as it seems anything can be done to them.

Darren Peters

14:22 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by TheBiggerPicture at 13/01/2023 - 11:25
So the situation will be that you are forced to hold the loss-making property with tenant in situ until you are bankrupted because nobody else is going to buy the poisoned chalice off of you.

Of course the govt doesn’t care because you are doing their dirty work, are their scapegoat and are too few to have the power to fight back.

Jack Craven

15:23 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Darren Peters at 13/01/2023 - 14:22
So just to be clear everyone else can have increases in income apart from Landlords how mad is that !

Beaver

16:11 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

The writing's on the wall: If you are a buy-to-let investor you need to be investing in England, not in Scotland. The jury's out on investment in Wales at the moment although I believe it's becoming more risky.

Mr.A

16:14 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

The Scottish Nationalist and Snivelling Greens want to squeeze Private
Sector Landlord’s till they are bankrupt.
Anyone looking to Buy into the Scottish Rental market, or wee Kranchi's Fifedom
BEWARE YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Beaver

16:26 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Mr.A at 13/01/2023 - 16:14
I think that's correct...the Scottish government is extreme and probably doesn't care if it collapses the buy-to-let sector in Scotland. There is no effective opposition any more in Scotland and politically the Scottish government (a.k.a. the Scottish Nazionalist Party) appear to favour an electorate that is dependent upon the SNP.

So, if you are considering Scotland for an investment in residential property be warned..."Oor Nicola" is out to get you.

Mr.A

16:44 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

Don't know about "Oor Nicola"
I wish the UK Government would desolve the Scootish talking shop on the mound and stick her in the tower of London for treason.
Scotland has the Highest income tax now of any part of the UK, all to pay the generational
work shy lay abouts who undoubtedly vote for the Scottish Nasty party. They have stolen Labours old trick ,keep the masses dependent on the State so come election time ,who they gonna vote .?

Beaver

16:57 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Mr.A at 13/01/2023 - 16:44
Income tax is one thing, and yes, it's higher in Scotland than in England. The Scottish government is also attacking buy-to-let but I can't see it stopping there.

15-20 years ago I did consider investing in BTL in Scotland. The reason being that a friend of mine said that Scotland has a tradition of renting and in his experience Scottish tenants were good tenants. I think things have changed under the SNP and investing in Scotland is now high risk; I wouldn't consider investing in Scotland now.

I'm wondering how long it will be before the SNP takes aim at homeowners' Principle Private Residences (PPR). Does anyone know, does Scotland have the power to bring in legislation to tax you on your PPR now? Or is that dependent upon the Westminster parliament?

Old Mrs Landlord

18:45 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

The Scottish government's claim when they brought in this legislation last year that it is treating social and private landlords fairly and equally is now exposed as the lie it has always been. Social landlords have not been affected at all since they only have power to increase rents once annually, in April. The rent restriction law was brought in after April 2022 and social landlords will be able to increase rents in April 2023. As usual, it's one law for us and another for them but in a somewhat underhand way in order to sanitise their image.

Roberta Goodall

21:49 PM, 13th January 2023, About A year ago

Reply to the comment left by Beaver at 13/01/2023 - 16:26
Who is going to buy a Buy to Let property in Scotland and pay 6% tax? And then not be able to evict even if they never pay you a penny in rent.

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