More regulation, but Scots government pledges to consult with agents

More regulation for landlords and letting agents in Scotland is on the way – but both landlords and agents themselves will be consulted.

The Scottish Government, which has come up with a paper on its strategy for the private rented sector, said that it “does not have a monopoly on good ideas. In order to deliver on the vision for the sector, we will engage with all of our partners on their innovative ideas.”

The paper sets out to improve the quality of the private rented sector in Scotland, including ‘redefining’ the landlord registration scheme in order to target the worst offenders.

In Scotland, an estimated 11% of households are in private rental accommodation (2011 estimate). The Government foresees further growth. It estimates that there are some 500 letting agents’ businesses in Scotland, involved in around 150,000 private lets per year – about half the total.

The sector is arguably already more highly regulated in Scotland than in England – for example, since last November, agents cannot charge tenants fees, and from this May, tenants have had to be provided with an information pack. However, mandatory tenancy deposit protection was not introduced until last year.

Ian Potter, ARLA managing director, said: “We welcome the proposals.

“We look forward to working with the Scottish Government on furthering these actions, to ensure tenants and landlords are better protected.

“ARLA has been calling for regulation of the sector across the UK for a number of years and, as more and more people rent rather than own their home, it is vital that legislation is introduced.”
 
Scottish firm CKD Galbraith, a SAFEagent member, said it welcomed the Scottish Government paper as a positive step.