Private sector rent controls in Scotland

Nicola Sturgeon is an advocate of rent controls, she has outlined plans in the Scottish Parliament to introduce them through a Private Tenancies Bill, personally I have always thought some form of rent control would be the most sensible way of keeping a cap on private sector rents, however this method of controlling rents should be researched at depth to ensure they work without harming both Landlord and Tenant.

The introduction of rent controls as exists in Germany cannot acheive the required outcome unless they go hand in hand with other changes such as tax incentives and land releases, making changes without looking at the bigger picture could quite honestly make a shambles of the delicately balanced  private rented sector.

According to an article by Dr John Boyle spokesperson for PRS 4 Scotland he says,  they are putting forward a “framework” that offers a basis to do this and we will be working with government and opposition parties to address the real issues in housing but also warning of the dangers of adopting a rent control system which would be so detrimental to tenants, landlord and indeed homeowners in Scotland.

Original article can be seen: http://www.scotsman.com/news/rented-sector-needs-proper-policy-to-solve-shortage-1-3883461

 

Allen Walkey

Highly experienced businessman with a successful career in property sales and investment both in the UK and abroad. Now a freelance writer and blogger for the property and Investment Industry, keeping readers up-to-date with changes and events in a rapidly changing world.

You May Also Enjoy

Breaking News

Breaking Property News 11/6/26

Daily bite-sized proptech and property news in partnership with Proptech-X.   Leasing decisioning platform set to scale with new injection of investment Findigs, the AI-native leasing decisioning platform that helps residential operators across the U.S. improve revenue and grow their bottom line, announced that it closed a $32 million Series C funding round led by…
Read More
Breaking News

Cost of void periods climbs by as much as 53% for landlords

Landlords face growing pressure on profits as the cost of void periods climbs by as much as 53%.   The latest research by property management specialist, Rushbrook & Rathbone, has found that the average cost to landlords as a result of void periods between tenancies has climbed by as much as 52.9% across some areas…
Read More
Breaking News

Lack of Supply Keeps Upward Pressure on Rents

More ‘affordable’ areas see rents rise two times faster than the national average    Rents are rising 5% on average in more affordable areas where rents are below £750pcm – over twice the national average of 2.1% Regionally, Carlisle (+9.1%), Kilmarnock (+9%) and Halifax (+6.5%) are among the fastest-rising markets where rents are rising quickly…
Read More
Rightmove logo
Breaking News

First-time buyer price hotspots revealed

New analysis from the UK’s largest property platform Rightmove, reveals where first-time buyer prices are rising fastest across Great Britain Bridlington in East Riding of Yorkshire (£167,321) and St Helens in Merseyside (£133,106) lead the way, with average asking prices up 18% compared to last year Falkirk (+17% to £118,327) and Hartlepool (+12% to £104,76)…
Read More
Breaking News

Summer set to bring seasonal spike in homeseller activity

The latest analysis by Foxtons has revealed that while autumn is traditionally the busiest time of year for the property market, summer is the ideal time for homeowners to get their property ready and listed if they want to take advantage of the heightened buyer activity still to come in 2026. Foxtons analysed government property transaction…
Read More
Breaking News

World’s Football Stadiums Occupy Incredibly Valuable Real Estate

The latest research from LandSale, the property portal dedicated to land and rural property, has revealed which nations competing at the 2026 FIFA World Cup are sitting on the most valuable home turf, based on current land values surrounding their national stadiums. LandSale analysed the primary home stadium used by each national team and applied…
Read More