A senior lettings agent has contacted Letting Agent Today with a response to a controversial claim last week by a Green Party politician.

Maggie Chapman, of the Scottish Green Party, claimed that landlords in Scotland were waiting until the expiry of temporary rent caps on April 1 before they could “go rogue” and hike rents.

Now Rob Trotter, director of new business – lettings at respected Scottish agency Rettie, has contacted LAT to say that Chapman’s suggestion is “a dramatic and misleading portrayal of the private rental sector.”

Here is his response:

“With the temporary rent caps set to be lifted on April 1st, she suggests that landlords will hike rents to unaffordable levels, forcing tenants from their homes. But this narrative ignores the realities of Scotland’s housing market and the fundamental economic pressures at play.

“Rather than focusing on increasing housing supply—the real long-term solution to Scotland’s housing emergency—Chapman and others continue to push for ever-stricter rent controls, despite overwhelming evidence that such policies ultimately harm the very people they intend to help.

Who Covers Rising Costs?

“Over the past two years, interest rates have risen sharply, affecting all homeowners across Scotland. Many landlords, particularly those who rent out their former homes due to a change in circumstances, are now facing significantly higher mortgage repayments. Yet under the government’s rent control measures, they have been unable to adjust rents in line with these rising costs.

“Does Maggie Chapman believe that while all other homeowners must bear the burden of higher mortgage rates, landlords should be uniquely expected to absorb these costs on behalf of their tenants? Private landlords are not charities—they provide homes at a fair market rate while shouldering the risks, responsibilities, and costs of property ownership.

“Landlords have no wish to set rents at unaffordable levels. They understand that long-term, stable tenancies are in everyone’s best interest. However, rental income must at least cover mortgage payments, maintenance, insurance, compliance with ever-increasing regulation, and the general upkeep of properties. If it doesn’t, landlords will be forced to exit the market.

Rent Controls Don’t Just Shrink Supply—They Lower Standards

“Strict rent controls don’t just reduce the number of homes available to rent—they also discourage investment in maintaining and improving existing rental stock. If a landlord is receiving rent that doesn’t even cover their outlays, how can they be expected to fund upgrades to insulation, heating systems, or general property maintenance?

“The Scottish Government is already placing significant pressure on landlords to meet ever-higher energy efficiency standards and property conditions. Yet at the same time, policies like rent controls have made it financially unviable for many landlords to reinvest in their properties. 

“The reality is simple: draconian rent controls don’t just drive landlords out of the market, they can also lead to the deterioration of the homes that remain.

The Global Evidence on Rent Controls

“History has shown time and again that strict rent controls reduce the supply of rental homes. We only need to look at cities like Stockholm, San Francisco, and Berlin, where heavy-handed regulation has led to dwindling rental stock, long waiting lists, and black-market lettings. When landlords cannot cover their costs or see a return on their investment, they sell up or withdraw from the market, leaving fewer homes available for tenants.

“An economic analogy illustrates this point well: if the price of wheat rises dramatically, the solution is not to force bakers to sell bread at a loss—it’s to grow more wheat. The same logic applies to housing. The answer to Scotland’s rental crisis is not to artificially suppress rents but to ensure there are enough homes to meet demand.

Who Really Suffers When Rental Supply Shrinks?

“Politicians who champion rent controls may believe they are acting in the interests of Scotland’s growing population of renters, but in reality, they are making their situation worse. When supply is constrained, competition for rental properties intensifies, and tenants find it harder to secure a home. The very policies that claim to protect renters ultimately price many out of the market altogether.

“Scotland needs a serious strategy to increase housing supply, encourage investment in the private rented sector, and provide a regulatory environment that is fair to both tenants and landlords. Instead of demonising landlords, policymakers should be asking why so many have already left the market—and how we can create a system where both tenants and property owners thrive.

“The lifting of the rent cap on April 1st is not a signal that landlords will ‘go rogue.’ It is simply a long-overdue correction that allows rental values to reflect real-world economic conditions. The real danger lies in continuing down a path that ignores market realities and drives Scotland’s rental sector deeper into crisis.”