Scottish PRS reforms ‘fail to empower tenants’

Scottish PRS reforms ‘fail to empower tenants’

0:02 AM, 19th February 2025, About a month ago 5

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Private rented sector reforms in Scotland are not effectively empowering tenants to challenge substandard landlord practices, a survey reveals.

SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust found a majority of renters experience issues with their properties, yet few use the established Tribunal process to resolve disputes.

The organisation, which promotes housing rights education, polled 1,000 renters across Scotland.

Of those tenants, 45% said they don’t know where to seek help if their landlord or agent failed to respond to complaints adequately.

Landlords are responding positively

The organisation‘s head of policy, Dr Jennifer Harris, said: “Decent, safe housing should be the bedrock of the private rented sector.

“The vast majority of landlords and agents are responding positively where problems arise.

“However, it is worrying that so many tenants do not know where to turn when landlords fail to properly address their concerns.”

She added: “Tenants need to be empowered to challenge bad practice in the sector.

“This can only be achieved by ensuring they fully understand where to take complaints to when they have them.

“More needs to be done to ensure they have this vital information.”

Problems in Scotland’s PRS

There are 330,000 households in Scotland’s PRS, according to government figures, and 61% of tenants say they have problems with their homes.

Common issues include leaks or plumbing problems (23%), difficulty maintaining warmth (19%), unfulfilled repairs (16%), exterior maintenance needs (16%) and serious damp or mould (13%).

While 88% of tenants experiencing these problems notified their landlord or agent, with 85% seeing some level of resolution, 15% found the response unacceptable.

Of those dissatisfied tenants, only 4% escalated their complaint to the Housing and Property Chamber tribunal – and just 9% contacted their local council.


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Morag

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10:17 AM, 19th February 2025, About a month ago

Since 2017 it has been compulsory to provide tenants with a 52 page Easy Read Notes document, in addition to the similarly sized Private Residential Tenancy Agreement, so they know all about their rights and obligations, and where to seek help and advice. Who can blame them if they can't be bothered to read it all?

Janet Carnochan

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13:50 PM, 19th February 2025, About a month ago

Out of 330,000 households they polled 1000, from this they think 61% of all households have problems. As a landlord in Scotland I find that percentage hard to believe. I rent out 5 properties. The only issues/complaints I have outstanding is damage to fencing from the recent storms. All tenants have been engaged with regarding these. Many landlords in Scotland do a wonderful job.

Crouchender

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15:13 PM, 19th February 2025, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Janet Carnochan at 19/02/2025 - 13:50
How will your fellow Scots LLs cope with all EPCs need to be C by 2028?

Janet Carnochan

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17:36 PM, 19th February 2025, About a month ago

Reply to the comment left by Crouchender at 19/02/2025 - 15:13
Unfortunately it will lose a lot of properties currently in the PRS. Many stone cottages in Scotland are rented out. The rents are quite low and it wouldn't be financially viable to spend to upgrade and many aren't suitable to upgrade. Some folk do upgrades then have damp in houses that never had damp before. Some of the stone cottages are meant to breathe. It's just crazy legislation that is going to put further strain on a housing crisis. I have one, it's a granite cottage, narrow stairs and combe ceilings upstairs, not particularly big rooms. It has full gas central heating and double glazing but only just manages to scrape a D. Previously we were told that was the goal posts. Don't get me wrong, I believe that everyone should have a warm home. Some houses just aren't suitable to achieve a C in the current EPC system. I'm sure if you asked many tenants then they would rather have a heating bill and a roof over their head than be homeless. Many folk chose to live in rural stone cottages rather than live in more eco friendly homes in more built up areas. As usual there is no help for landlords and as usual it will mean that the tenants suffer in the long run.

Don G.

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23:35 PM, 22nd February 2025, About 4 weeks ago

I had a dispute about 5 years ago and even though we were in acute disagreement, the only thing we agreed on was that we did not want a public sector tribunal or deposits quango, both probably staffed with plant-eaters who had never ran a bath never mind a rental business, determine the outcome. Quite apart from the low intellect and lack of common sense we would expose ourselves to, the timescales and inability to communicate (and that was before they were allowed to veg at home) drove us to find our own solution.

So the legislation didn’t work in either the tenant or landlord’s interests.

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