Emergency legislation to protect tenants in Scotland

Emergency legislation has been laid before the Scottish Parliament with the intention to increase protection for tenants against rent rises and eviction action during the cost of living crisis.

The bill will enable ministers temporarily to cap rents for private and social tenancies at 0 per cent from 6 September 2022 to 31 March 2023.

Enforcement of eviction actions resulting from the cost of living crisis will also be prevented over the same period.

The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill will also apply to students in college or university halls of residence or other types of purpose-built accommodation.

Safeguards are included for private sector landlords, meaning they can increase rent to partially cover a limited number of specific costs including increased mortgage interest payments on the property they are letting, an increase in landlords’ insurance or increases in service charges paid as part of a tenancy, subject to an overall limit.

Tenants’ Rights Minister Patrick Harvie said: “The cost-of-living crisis is an emergency situation demanding an emergency response. Even as energy, food bills and other day-to-day basics become more expensive, today’s legislation freezing rents and protecting tenants from eviction will give tenants stability in their homes and confidence about their housing costs.

“People who rent their homes are more likely to live in poverty or be on low incomes than homeowners. As such they are particularly exposed to rising prices, and it is imperative that we bring in support for them urgently.

“We know that many landlords have been doing what they can to protect their tenants, but some tenants are being hit with large rent increases that are hard to justify. This legislation aims to protect all tenants from substantial increases, balancing the protections that are urgently needed for tenants with safeguards for those landlords who may also be impacted by the cost crisis.”

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