On 30th of September, the Scottish Parliament passed The Housing (Scotland) Bill which will allow the Scottish Government to designate rent control areas. It will become law once it receives Royal Assent from the King.
While rent controls were first introduced in Scotland as an emergency measure in response to the cost-of-living crisis, the Bill will give local authorities the ability to designate rent control areas.
Local authorities will be required to conduct rent assessments every five years and if the Scottish Government deems the rent across the zone to be excessive, they can decide to cap rent increases across the zone at the Consumer Prices Index (CPI) plus one per cent, up to a maximum of six per cent.
The bill also gives greater rights for tenants to personalise their home, obtain permission for a pet and end a joint tenancy where there is disagreement between the tenants about ending the lease.
The provisions in the Bill affecting the PRS require secondary legislation to be drafted and approved to set out the details of how they will operate. It will likely be another 18 months to 2 years, or possibly longer before they come into force.
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