‘Rent holiday’ calls amid law change plan

THOUSANDS of people are calling on the Scottish Government to give ‘rent holidays’ to tenants affected by the coronavirus pandemic.

Living Rent, Scotland’s tenants union, has launched a petition asking for a pause on evictions and rent collections in the social and private rented sector for those who can’t work as they’re self-isolating.

Communities minister Aileen Campbell said a temporary law change would be introduced to extend the period a tenant can be in rent arrears without being evicted from three months to six months.

But Labour’s Pauline McNeill said the action “should go much further” and asked for an approach which “broadly mirrors” the mortgage agreement, where homeowners can get a three-month holiday.

Living Rent say tenants are not only facing a health crisis but the possibility of homelessness too.

“It’s unconscionable anyone should have to worry about being evicted from their home at this time,” Emma Saunders, from the union, said.

Glasgow Green Party councillor Jon Molyneux backed the campaign, saying: “This crisis is exposing the vulnerability of those living on low wages, in precarious employment or with insecure accommodation.”

Ms Campbell also asked landlords to be “flexible and adaptable”. “We cannot have people being made, or at risk of being made, homeless,” she said.

She will write to the UK Government asking for mortgage holidays to be extended to six months.

The Scottish Association of Landlords has issued advice to its members which includes being flexible with tenants. It states they should ask their mortage provider for relief if a tenant is in difficulty and pass on any savings through a rent reduction.