Tenants promised six-month ban on all evictions

‘Nobody should be evicted’

THE Scottish Government will impose a six-month ban on evictions of tenants in private rented accommodation.

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said emergency powers in the Coronavirus Bill would be used to prevent people from losing their homes.

Ministers will outlaw evictions for everyone in private rentals or social housing. Earlier, the UK Government banned all evictions in England and Wales.

In Holyrood yesterday, Labour MSP Pauline McNeill asked the minister to guarantee that legislation would be in place to protect all types of tenants during the outbreak.

Miss Campbell said: ‘There should be no eviction as a result of Covid-19. Our emergency legislation will have provisions to ensure there will be no evictions from the private rented sector or the social rented sector for six months.’

She said the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations had confirmed no tenant would be evicted during the crisis.

Scottish Greens co-leader Patrick Harvie also raised the issue with Nicola Sturgeon, stating colleagues had heard on a daily basis from tenants who were being served with notices to quit by landlords.

The First Minister replied: ‘Nobody should be evicted from their home as a result of this crisis and I will make that clear at every opportunity.’

Living Rent, a group which represents tenants in Scotland, welcomed the extra protection. Spokesman David Hanson said: ‘This is a brilliant win for tenants up and down Scotland.

‘It is now crucial we also ensure tenants are not driven into enormous debts over the course of the pandemic.’