ASK AN EXPERT
MY landlord private is putting pressure on me to pay overdue rent that I owe due to being made redundant from my job as a result of coronavirus. I’m really struggling to make ends meet and don’t want to end up homeless. What can I do? ON April 7, the Scottish Government introduced rules to extend the notice period that must be given to tenants before landlords can evict them, which will remain in place until September 30.
Your landlord is required to give you six months’ notice before legal action can begin to obtain an order for eviction.
Additionally, if this goes to the housing tribunal, the grounds for eviction based on rent arrears is now discretionary, meaning they will consider the reasonableness of the request when making a decision.
Your landlord cannot just throw you out of the property and is required to go through a process in order to evict you.
In the first instance you should see if an arrangement can be made to pay the overdue rent back at a later date, or to spread this over a longer period of time to help make the repayments smaller.
Ensure that you communicate in writing and keep a copy of anything that you send.
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If you feel that you are being harassed by your landlord, you can contact the police by calling the non-emergency number 101, or 999 if you are in immediate danger. I hope you get these issues resolved. I HAVE been hearing on the news the Government will be investing in home energy efficiency improvements, with loans and grants being made available for new boilers and insulation. Is this only in England or is there a way I can get more information on this in Scotland? FROM September, homeowners will be able to apply for vouchers for up to £5000 for energy efficiency improvements to be made.
At present, the specific details of this scheme are yet to be announced.
There are already sources of support available in Scotland, offering financial help to lowincome households in the form of discounts and funding.
Home Energy Scotland is funded by the Scottish Government and provides local advice on energy saving, keeping warm at home, renewable energy, greener travel, cutting waste and much more.
They have an insightful tool on their website for searching the support that is available, based on your circumstances.
This includes support available for homeowners, landlords and tenants alike.
More information on Home Energy Scotland and the funding support they can offer can be found on https://energysavingtrust. org.uk/scotland/homeenergy-scotland, or by calling them on 0808 808 2282, free of charge.
Their website also has lots of helpful information on saving energy and saving money on energy products.