Wales unlikely to follow Scotland’s rent controls

WALES’S housing secretary has poured cold water on suggestions the country could follow Scotland’s lead by introducing similar rent controls, saying early indications show it has not worked.

Julie James was pressed for her views on rent controls in Scotland while giving evidence to a Senedd inquiry on the private-rented sector.

South Wales West MS Altaf Hussain quizzed the housing secretary about affordability, raising concerns about rent rises since the pandemic, with landlords asking for big deposits and months’ rent upfront.

The Conservative warned this is leading some into unmanageable debt as he questioned whether there is a need to regulate a maximum deposit and rent.

Asked about the Welsh Government’s current thinking on rent regulation, Ms James told the local government and housing committee: “It hasn’t really worked in Scotland, I’m afraid.

“We’ve got some evidence, although it’s early days to be fair, so we’ll want to monitor that for a longer time period. But so far the evidence is it’s not having the desired effect.”

Ms James pointed to a Welsh Government green paper calling for evidence on the right to adequate housing and rent control policies, with a second consultation to follow in summer.

She said: “We’re very keen to look at international examples from all over the place in terms of what works to get affordable rents into the sector.”

Lee Waters, who was Ms James’ deputy until last month, said many tenants have damp or disrepair issues, but are unaware of their rights or too frightened for fear of eviction. Suggesting the Welsh housing quality standard should be extended to the private sector, the Llanelli MS warned of a fundamental power imbalance between landlords and tenants.

The housing secretary said protections under Wales’ Renting Homes Act have led to a substantial drop in evictions since coming into force in 2022.

John Griffiths, who chairs the committee, raised concerns about a mismatch between the number of students and the amount of purpose-built accommodation in university cities.

Ms James said she has tried to persuade council planning departments they have the power to enforce better standards for student accommodation, so it can be more easily repurposed.

She admitted: “I have not been terribly successful at this but I plan to have another go.”

The former lawyer told committee members that other levers will be looked at, including any unintended consequences of the council tax exemption for students.