- Scotland’s tenants need homes we can afford, so that we’re not priced out of our communities.
- We need security of tenure, not just a place we can stay for a while.
- We need homes that are warm, so that heating them doesn’t cost the earth.
- We need access to justice and better enforcement, so that we can defend ourselves when landlords treat us unfairly.
The Scottish Government has promised to introduce rent controls and greater rights for tenants in this Parliament.
Between December 2021 and April 2022, the Scottish Government consulted on proposed changes to the law.
As Scotland's tenants union, we demanded:
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AFFORDABLE HOMES: a point-based system of rent controls to bring down housing costs and improve housing quality and a greater supply of social housing
- QUALITY HOMES: greater and clearer penalties for landlords who refuse to make repairs, as well as clearer incentives for improvements such as energy efficiency
- SECURE HOMES: greater protections for tenants, including banning winter evictions, making all grounds discretionary and introducing meaningful penalties for breaches of the law
- HOMES THAT ARE OURS: the right to make it ours by not facing undue restrictions on what we can do, such as having pets or redecorating
- STRONGER VOICES FOR TENANTS: control over our homes, which means making rent consultation results binding, and ensuring we don’t face repercussions for exercising our rights
Get in touch if you want to get involved locally and push for change.