Prs

David Melhuish By Scottish Property Federation director David Melhuish

Scottish Labour has called on the Scottish Government to introduce tougher targets to make private rented homes more energy efficient. According to Labour, soaring energy costs and poorly insulated homes have pushed a third of those living in the private rented sector into fuel poverty.

Over £10 million of taxes are being avoided this year due to the boom in private homes being let out as holiday accommodation during the Edinburgh festival, according to an MSP. Lothian representative Andy Wightman MSP said he has been “inundated” with correspondence from constituents concerned

People move in and out of properties every day. More often than not, the beginning and ending of tenancies go without any major problems – and words like ‘eviction’ never come into play. But, as Shelter Scotland’s Jocasta Mann writes, it can happen, and it is a daunting prospect if you’re

The Glasgow branch of the Living Rent tenants’ union was officially launched on Saturday at the Pearce Institute in the city. Union members and the public gathered to give testimony of their experiences of renting, to take inspiration from other tenants’ rights groups and to discuss ambitions fo

Housing minister Kevin Stewart is writing to all commercial letting agents to highlight a new statutory Code of Practice and the need to comply by January 31 2018. The code sets out standards that must be met in how letting agents deliver services. It includes specific requirements on how clients’

Shelter Scotland asked private renters about the conditions in their property. Lisa Glass outlines what they had to say. In June 2017 we gathered the views of over 200 private tenants on the Scottish Government’s proposal to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard for private rented homes,

The average private rented sector (PRS) rents in Scotland’s cities increased by 1.5% to reach a record high of £789 per month in the second quarter of 2017 as demand from tenants continued to exceed supply, according to new figures. The latest index data from Citylets revealed that the increase w

It’s always a huge relief when your tenancy deposit comes back, even if you’re sure you left everything spick and span when you moved out! After the deposit is released by the protection scheme it’s registered with, you can claim it. But what if you’re one of the thousands of tenants who don

A move to introduce a Scottish-style ban on letting agent fees in England was included in the Queen’s Speech yesterday. The UK government proposal to remove the fees paid by tenants in the private rented sector will be published as a draft bill for further scrutiny.

A free online resource which offers tenants and landlords a comprehensive guide to private renting in Scotland is to be given a total overhaul after a funding award of £43,500 from SafeDeposits Scotland Trust. The award, the largest the Trust has ever made, was donated to site owner Shelter Scotlan

Weslo Property Management tenants got together last week for their second tenant participation group meeting. Since their first meeting in March, the group, the first private sector scrutiny and development group of its kind in Scotland, have been working on a range of topics such as private sector

The increase in pensioner bachelor pads as divorce rates among older couples become more regular has seen the number of pensioners in private rental properties across the UK reach record levels, according to a lettings index. As a growing number of so-called "silver splitters" are moving into rented

Private rent levels in Scotland were up 6% in the year to May 2017, with the typical rental property letting for £574 a month, according to the latest buy-to-let index from Your Move Scotland. Edinburgh is showing a “strong” performance, according to the index. Prices in the city and surroundin

Mike Bruce In a new opinion piece for CIH Scotland, Mike Bruce, chief executive of Weslo Housing Management reflects on borrowing conditions in the Buy to Let market and its place in an ever growing private rented sector.