Boost for renters with tenancy law changes

NEW changes to Scotland’s private rented housing sector will bring “significant improvements” to those renting their home.

A new standard tenancy agreement, which means landlords can only put up rents once and year and allows tenants to challenge unfair rises, comes into force from today.

Under a Private Residential Tenancy landlords will have to give tenants one of 18 reasons for ending their contract and rental agreements will have no end date, and can only be terminated by either the property owner or the renter giving written notice.

Campaigners at the housing charity Shelter Scotland have hailed the changes - which have been brought in after Holyrood passed the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 - as being a “new dawn for all private renters”.

Director Graeme Brown said: “These new laws bring unprecedented security of tenure to private renters with landlords now needing a good reason to evict tenants.”

He added: “We have campaigned passionately for 10 years now for reform of private renting, ending with our Make Renting Right campaign, which had extensive support from the public and local and national politicians.

“We are delighted that all those voices were listened to and we support today’s changes in the law.”

Shelter is now working with the Scottish Government to raise awareness of the new system.

Housing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “This is the biggest change for a generation and will bring about significant improvements in private renting, benefiting both tenants and landlords.”