An emergency rent freeze in the private and public sectors has been announced this afternoon in Scotland. It will last until “at least” March 31 next year.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon made the announcement which in a new Programme for Government, which is a package of emergency initiatives to help combat the cost of living crisis and high energy bills.

Although the measure will require additional legislation, it will operate retrospectively so effectively means an immediate ban on rent rises.

In a more surprising move, Sturgeon has also re-introduced a Covid-style eviction ban. 

She says: “By definition, these are temporary measures, but they will provide much-needed security for many during what will be a difficult winter. We envisage that both measures will remain in place until at least the end of March 2023.”

The Scottish Government consulted on plans to freeze rents, at least partly, in December 2021; proposals at that time would have also included a ban on evictions during winter.

Some 37 per cent of households in Scotland rent their homes, across private and public sectors.

Although the government in Scotland consists of SNP and Green politicians, the move to impose a rent freeze is attributed to a campaign by Labour Member of the Scottish Parliament Mercedes Villalba, who has been agitating for this policy for several months. 

She says: “We have the most right wing Tory government at Westminster since the Thatcher years, with the new Prime Minister Liz Truss openly stating that she supports ‘Thatcherite’ 1980s style tax cuts for the wealthiest.

“Against this backdrop, it’s welcome that the First Minister appears to be planning to introduce a rent freeze.

“If the Scottish Government had not used its overall majority to block my proposal for a rent freeze earlier this year, the most hard pressed in our communities could already have had a month of relief from increases imposed by landlords.”