Sep

Agents report ‘desperate’ conditions as consequences of Scots rent freeze kick in

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Leading UK-wide estate agency the Belvoir Group has reported ‘desperate’ conditions within the Scottish private rented sector following the country’s decision to implement a rent freeze and evictions moratorium.

The company says the situation is rapidly worsening leaving thousands of tenants in a perilous situation as accommodation becomes more and more difficult to secure.

Reports from its Edinburgh and Dundee operations reveal extraordinary scenes of 1,000 people bidding for properties as demand outstrips supply but more and more landlords remove properties from the market.

Scotland has taken the most radical approach to managing its housing market since Labour and the Greens went into coalition, with Patrick Harvie, a Green MSP, being named as ‘minister for tenants’ rights’.

The consequences of this, including the recently announced rent freeze and evictions moratorium into next year, are now being felt.

“The current situation is incredibly difficult for tenants, and many of those looking to secure a rental property are feeling extremely frustrated and often left disappointed,” says Andrew Jack from Belvoir Edinburgh (pictured, below).

Unprecedented

“As an example, we have received over 9000 tenant enquiries in the past four weeks, which is unprecedented.

“We recently released two flats to the market, and within 48 hours had received over 1,000 enquiries for each of them from potential tenants. “Not only is it logistically difficult to process 2000 enquiries, but clearly, we were only able to offer these flats to two tenants, leaving 1998 perfectly good potential tenants still looking to find somewhere to live.

Ron Campbell, the Dundee boss of its Northwood chain, says: “The challenges facing tenants have never been as bad as they are at present.

“Demand is completely outstripping supply, and it is emotionally draining for my team members to continually deliver bad news to those people who come into our offices day in and day out looking for somewhere to live.”

Campbell says that at his office, for every property that comes onto his books his branch has “probably lost four properties from existing stock, as landlords who have been with us for many years are now feeling pushed into exiting the market”,” he adds.

“Although we are doing our best to encourage sales to new and existing landlords, many investors who are worried by rental controls, including the moratorium on evictions that was recently announced, are feeling nervous.

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