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The Amiqus and Umega teams Edinburgh letting agent Umega Lettings is working with Leith-based start-up Amiqus Resolution to streamline and automate its client and staff compliance processes.

Plans by private housing provider Serco to evict hundreds of asylum seekers and refugees in Glasgow were known by senior managers at Glasgow City Council for months, according to reports. The Home Office contractor issued the first in a series of lock-change orders at emergency accommodation through

One year after private renters were given new rights, James Mullaney looks at what has improved and what still needs to be done. The new housing legislation was passed following extensive campaigning from Shelter Scotland. Over the years countless people have come to us for help dealing with landlor

The Scottish Government has pledged to bring forward legislation to restrict the use of unsuitable temporary accommodation for homeless people in the next programme for government. During a debate on homelessness in the Scottish Parliament yesterday, housing minister Kevin Stewart said the governmen

Three appeals challenging a City of Edinburgh Council policy to take enforcement action when properties are being misused as short term lets have been dismissed by the Scottish Government. The cases all centred around alleged breaches of planning control involving the material change of use of prope

The average rent for a two bedroom property rose in the past year in all but four areas across Scotland, according to the latest figures from the Scottish Government. Increases ranged from 0.3% in Perth and Kinross to 6.5% in Lothian. The areas that didn't see an increase include Aberdeen and Shire,

A coalition of renters unions across the country staged a demonstration against banking firm Natwest on Saturday over its “discriminatory” buy to let mortgages. In the first co-ordinated action of its kind, ACORN, Living Rent and London Renters Union organised the demonstrations at Natwest branc

Graham Simpson MSP Graham Simpson MSP used his address at the Scottish Association of Landlords’ annual conference and exhibition to highlight issues in Scottish housing market.

John Blackwood Scotland’s largest landlord membership organisation has welcomed broad political support for stronger enforcement of rules governing landlords and letting agents operating in the private rented sector to allow a better service for tenants.

An online ‘toolkit’ for Scottish tenants on how to best navigate the rental system has been launched by Shelter Scotland, with funding from the SafeDeposits Scotland Trust. The Toolkit for Tenants contains a series of guides for Scottish tenants covering deposits and housing costs to repairs, in

The City of Edinburgh Council is to request that the Scottish Government conducts a review into the effectiveness of a rent pressure zone (RPZ) after a report found that the policy is not fit for purpose. Designed to cap any future increase in rent in a local authority area, RPZs became available as

Landlords will be forced to acquire full planning permission to lease homes by the night on websites including Airbnb after changes to the Scottish Government’s Planning Bill were agreed by MSPs. Holyrood’s local government and communities committee agreed an amendment from tabled by Scottish Gr

Scottish Greens have welcomed changes to the Scottish Government’s planning bill which they say will help tackle Scotland’s housing crisis by making land for housebuilding more affordable, however housebuilders have called the measures “premature”. Housing spokesperson Andy Wightman MSP said

East Ayrshire Council has announced the fourth annual private landlord conference to be held on Saturday, 10 November at St Joseph's Academy in Kilmarnock. The conference, which will be hosted by the East Ayrshire Private Sector Housing Unit in conjunction with North and South Ayrshire councils, wil

Rock Trust property officer Tammy Reilly details a new Rent Deposit Scheme project which aims to help young people secure tenancies in the private sector. What are the causes of homelessness? We ask again and again. We share evidence. We share reports. Some of the answers change, some stay the same.