On 1 April the rent cap and eviction ban lifted, leaving tenants faced with landlords hiking up rents through the roof and forcing people out of their homes.
However, under the government’s transitional plans, tenants can challenge a rent increase and get it reduced to 12%, the market rate or kept at the landlords increase, whatever is lower.
1. If you have had a rent increase - challenge it using our form.
You have 21 days to contest your rent hike, after which your landlords increase will take effect.
2. Join Living Rent
As more and more people get rent increases, we need to come together to fight back. We need a system of rent controls and stronger protections for tenants to keep rents affordable, improve quality and make our housing more secure. The Scottish Government has announced their plans for a Housing Bill but we know that landlords will stop at nothing to water it down and delay it. Our members throughout Scotland will be fighting for this, join Living Rent to support the fight and then come along to your next branch meeting to get involved!
3. Come along to a member defence meeting.
If you want to fight back against your rent increase or eviction or support your neighbours and stop spiralling rents, come along to a member defence meeting where other members will be fighting to protect their neighbours. You need to join before you are able to attend a session.
4. Use this form to write to your MSP and share your story.
We want to make sure that our stories are being heard. If you have a received an eviction notice or rent hike, write to your MSP to ask them what they are planning on doing about the Housing Crisis and ask them to support tenants rights in the Housing Bill.
And finally it is so important that we show how the end of the rent cap is impacting tenants. Get in touch with Rufus (our Communications Officer) if you might be up for speaking to the press about your rent increase.
When politicians refuse to protect us, we, as Scotland's tenants' union, will be supporting members and tenants across Scotland to fight back.
