Rent Controls - body discussing implementation recrui...

A Parliamentary group currently investigating the possible implementation of rent controls is to be joined by a senior figure from Propertymark.

The organisation’s policy manager for the UK Devolved Nations - Daryl McIntosh - has joined the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Housing.

The group’s membership includes Members of the Scottish Parliament and representatives from a range of organisations who share information and discuss matters relating to housing - they are currently working on a report on rent controls.

Edinburgh-based McIntosh has worked for Propertymark since 2013 and also holds Non-Executive Directorships with SafeDeposits Scotland and The Property Ombudsman and is a policy member of the European Association of Real Estate Profession’s Permanent Technical Committee.

McIntosh says: “I’m delighted to be strengthening the voice of sales and letting agents within Holyrood by joining the Cross-Party Group on Housing at a time when there are many legislative changes in the pipeline for the housing sector in Scotland.

“Propertymark has already provided robust responses to the consultation on the Scottish Government's A New Deal for Tenants and separate changes to notice periods, both of which we think are unfairly weighted in favour of tenants."

A series of rental industry organisation have hit out at the Scottish Government’s draft rented sector strategy - called A New Deal for Tenants - which includes a pledge to introduce rent controls.

Propertymark says politicians should instead refocus their efforts on policies that will increase the supply of homes across all tenures as a long-term solution to addressing affordability and improving housing quality.

It also describes a proposal to ban winter evictions as ‘unnecessary and unworkable’.

Some 94 per cent of the 240,000 registered in Scotland own just one buy-to-let property and Propertymark says that without providing incentives to stay, the sector risks contraction - even though it is already struggling to keep up with need.