Apr

Rent cap and evictions ban forcing landlords out say 83% of Scots agents

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Propertymark says Scotland’s emergency legislation is alienating landlords, discouraging investment, inhibiting supply, and causing rents to rise faster.

It reports that while most landlords can’t evict tenants following the Cost of Living Act extension, those with tenancies that are naturally coming to an end are now more likely to want to sell.

Propertymark’s research found that 83% of letting agents saw an increase in the number of landlords serving notice to sell because of the temporary measures, up from 69% in December.

Those that aren’t selling are securing their future financial position by raising rents in between tenancies, and when asked, 94% of agents said their landlords were now more inclined to do so, compared to 91% in December.

In January, the Scottish government announced a further six-month extension of the rules until the end of September meaning that if a landlord wants to increase a tenant’s rent mid-tenancy, this will be capped at 3%.

Enforcement of evictions continues to be paused except in a few specified circumstances.

Exemptions

Of all the notices served, 67% do not meet the exemption criteria and are awaiting processing from October 2023, up from 44% in the last survey.

Timothy Douglas (pictured), Propertymark’s head of policy and campaigns, says rent control is causing problems for the sector in Scotland. “We know from our member agents that as a direct result of the Cost of Living legislation, rents and costs are now being more heavily scrutinised by landlords, with many putting up rents between tenancies to protect against any future cost implications.”

Adds Douglas: “The crux of the housing problem is that demand is far outstripping supply, but this legislation is counterproductive for tenants, pushing landlords out of the sector and leaving little choice for those looking for a rented home.”

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