Living Rent in final push to protect tenants ahead of Housing Bill vote

The Housing Bill is a key component of the Scottish Government’s plan to address the housing emergency. Key measures include inflation-capped rents which apply between tenancies, protection against illegal evictions, Awaab’s Law in Scotland and the right to keep a pet and to redecorate as a tenant.

However, the government has introduced exemptions that will exclude build to rent and mid-market rents from the rent controls set out in the bill.

Living Rent says the exemptions proposed will undermine the legislation, create a two-tier system of tenants and are a “cowardly response” to a housing emergency that is “out of control”.

The union also describe the voting down of amendments introduced by Green MSP Maggie Chapman that would have seen a winter eviction ban and no eviction for the first 12 months of a tenancy as “party-political point scoring”.

Housing secretary Máiri McAllan has also signalled that she plans to explore the possibility of regulations that would allow for above-cap rent increases where landlords have kept their rent below market rent, or where there have been improvements to the quality of the property.

Earlier this month, the government released its analysis of a consultation that found that 97% of responses or 4,465 people and organisations said rent controls should apply to build-to-rent properties. The analysis also found that 94% of respondents believe that rent controls should apply to mid-market tenancies.

Living Rent’s national campaigns chair, Ruth Gilbert, said: “Today MSPs need to vote for this housing bill and commit to protecting tenants. 

“In the midst of a housing emergency, the rent controls proposed are the bare minimum that tenants need. After the vote tonight, MSPs need to go much further with bold action that actually addresses the housing emergency through a range of additional measures, not just paper over the cracks.

“The government’s exemptions for mid-market rent and build to rent is a cowardly response to extensive lobbying from landlords. It will create a two-tier system of rent controls. These loopholes will leave thousands of tenants without protection.

“It is disgraceful that despite increasing levels of homelessness and local authorities unable to meet their statutory duties, even the most basic amendments on eviction protections - which could have supported vulnerable people to stay in their homes - were voted down.

“Yet again, this government has shown that it is under the thumb of big business and landlords, not ordinary people.

“If MSPs are serious about ending  the housing emergency, they will pass this bill and commit to taking further, bolder action to increase the supply of genuinely affordable housing for social rent and fully regulate the private rented sector.”