Scottish government’s rent freeze deemed legal

Scottish government’s rent freeze deemed legal

0:03 AM, 3rd November 2023, About 6 months ago 1

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A senior judge has rejected landlords’ pleas and found the Scottish government’s rent freeze and eviction ban was not unlawful.

Landlords expressed “disappointment and frustration” but vowed urgent action must be taken by the Scottish government to address fundamental problems in the housing sector.

A coalition of members including the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), NRLA, Scottish Land & Estates (SLE) and Propertymark launched a judicial review after the government reintroduced a rent freeze and eviction ban in September 2022.

Meaningless tick-box consultations

Despite the verdict, the SAL vowed to keep pressuring the government over the housing crisis in Scotland.

John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), said: “We are proud that we stood up for our members, landlords and letting agents across Scotland who provide high-quality accommodation to their tenants and who want to invest in their properties to provide safe, affordable homes.

“We have achieved one of our key goals which is to put the SNP and Greens on notice that their planned Housing Bill must focus on tackling Scotland’s housing crisis by encouraging investment in all housing types across the country and not on unfair and disproportionate measures driven by ideology or politics.  That is what tenants, landlords, homeowners, buyers and investors deserve.”

He added: “We will be watching, along with colleagues in social housing, build to buy, build to rent and others.

“If the Scottish government continues down their current path of meaningless tick-box consultations and ill-considered measures, we will build as broad a coalition as possible to make sure Scotland gets the investment in our housing sector that is so desperately required.”

Legal challenge was only option

Sarah-Jane Laing chief executive of SLE said: “We are understandably disappointed but, given the negative impact of the legislation on private landlords and the supply of rural homes, we felt that the legal challenge was our only option.

“This action was raised in a fast-moving situation amid genuine and widely-held concerns that the Scottish government was not striking the right balance between the interests of tenants and landlords.”

Ms Laing urged the Scottish government to work together with landlords to combat the housing crisis.

“This ruling does not diminish the critical role of the private rented sector in addressing Scotland’s housing crisis. Our plea to the Scottish government is to work with us and provide a balance between landlord and tenants’ interests.”


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Comments

Mr.A

11:20 AM, 4th November 2023, About 6 months ago

Advice for Scottish landlords, if you can't stand the heat , get out the Sector, Let the SNP sort out thier own mess .
“If the Scottish government continues down their current path of meaningless tick-box consultations and ill-considered measures, we will build as broad a coalition as possible to make sure Scotland gets the investment in our housing sector that is so desperately required.”
What does that mean , SAL are going to invest in housing the homeless....
The Scottish Government does not listen only dictates ..
I'm glad I've sold most of my properties, a nice quiet life now 😌.

Anyone thinking of buying to let in Scotland is only on the road to Disappointment and frustration....

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