Landlords hope Sturgeon exit will soften SNP’s anti-landlord approach

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Scottish landlords hope that Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation may lead to a less aggressive approach towards the buy-to-let sector.

The SNP leader has presided over a range of anti-landlord legislation since becoming first minister in 2014, including the recent rent and eviction freeze under its Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act in a bid to protect landlords, prompting some investors to quit.

Exact opposite

The Scottish Association of Landlords says restrictions have had the exact opposite of their intended effect – reducing investment, pushing landlords out of the sector, reducing supply and driving up costs which have led to higher rents. 

It’s a view echoed by David Alexander, CEO of DJ Alexander Scotland. “There has too often been a confrontational approach to the private rented sector in Scotland and this was part of the reasoning which produced the recent rent freeze and ban on evictions,” he says.

Conciliatory

Alexander hopes that the next Scottish leader will adopt a more conciliatory, reasoned approach and will encourage growth in the PRS.

“I think the new leader of the SNP needs to understand that the private rented sector is an essential and integral part of the housing market and that this sector will be improved by working closely with those involved in investing, in letting, and in renting homes in Scotland,” says Alexander.

“Only in this way will we have a system that works for landlords and tenants.”

Last month, the Scottish Association of Landlords, Scottish Land and Estates and Propertymark submitted a petition to Edinburgh’s Court of Session, seeking a judicial review of the Scottish government’s rent control and eviction ban legislation. 

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