The Scottish Government has launched a consultation for tenants.
“This is an ambitious strategy, and it offers the chance to mend many aspects of a housing system that is currently failing thousands. We are excited to work with the Scottish Government to develop these ideas and build a better future for housing in Scotland.”
Alison Watson, Director of Shelter Scotland
The key points are:
- increasing penalties for illegal evictions and stronger enforcement
- restricting evictions during winter
- giving tenants greater flexibility to personalise their homes and keep pets
- developing a national system of rent controls for the private rented sector
- introducing a new Housing Standard to apply to all homes
- establishing a private rented sector regulator to uphold these standards and ensure the system is fair for both landlords and tenants
- setting minimum standards for energy efficiency, making homes cheaper to heat while contributing to Scotland’s climate change targets
The consultation closes on 15 April 2022.
You can submit a response at any time before the closing date. To give us your views, please access and respond to this consultation online at: https://consult.gov.scot/housing-and-social-justice/draft-rented-sector-strategy.
There are no restrictions on who can respond to the consultation. You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is still open. Please ensure that consultation responses are submitted before the closing date.
There are details in the consultation paper if you wish to send in a paper copy.
Private Housing Services and Legislation Team
4th Floor,
4 Atlantic Quay
150 Broomielaw
Glasgow G2 8LU
Or email to: rentedstrategyconsultation@gov.scot
Sally Thomas, Chief Executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), said:
“We welcome the Scottish Government’s ambition that all tenants should have access to secure, good quality, affordable homes. We are also pleased the government has acknowledged the unique role housing associations have in delivering these outcomes to people right across Scotland.
“Fairness, quality and affordability are at the heart of the social housing sector, with our homes built to the highest standards, and tenants regularly engaged in important decisions.
“This consultation provides an opportunity to inform and shape the detail behind these important principles, not least to provide a clearer definition of affordability. SFHA and our members look forward to working with Scottish Government over the coming months to do this.”
Categories: Uncategorized
What about landlord’s rights?. All the evidence from around the world indicates that when rent controls are introduced and tenants are given power over landlords, the rented sector reduces and local authorities are left to sort the mess out at public expense.
When you see the conditions some people have to live in through the private rent housing market it is a disgrace, and therefore very important that some private landlords accept that they have a responsibility to address the appalling conditions they expect some of their tenants to live in.
While I accept that Lachlaun has every right to raise the issue of Landlord’s rights, he needs to accept that while there are good examples of great landlords in this sector, there are also some very poor landlords around, and that this legislation is being considered because attempts to find a solution to this fairly intractable problem have, in the past, foundered.
We therefore need everyone to express their views so that, through this consultation, we jointly find a way of working together to eradicate this stain on our society and provide people with good quality homes that are properly maintained. Also, as part of this process, we remind tenants that with rights come responsibilities that they need to live up to, and jointly we improve the image of all landlords by convincing them to maintain and/or improve the standards of their accommodation.
Legislation does not need to be a barrier to progress. Managed properly, and with good intent, it should enhance and/or improve all of our lives.