5,000 signatures reached
To: The Scottish Government
A Living Rent for Scotland
We call on the Scottish Government to introduce rent controls, and protect tenants from eviction.
Why is this important?
Rents in Scotland are out of control. Scottish private tenants – those who rent from a landlord or letting agent - have the worst protections against eviction in Europe. Tenants are being forced into poverty, while house prices and a lack of social housing means there’s no alternative.
Rent controls are the norm in most of Europe and were used in the UK until the 1980s. Landlords claim that rent controls would drive up prices and cause housing shortages, but this isn't the case in countries like Germany, France and the Netherlands.
Moreover, some tenants are evicted because the landlord doesn't want to do the repairs they've asked for, while others worry that a bigoted landlord may evict them because of their beliefs or sexuality.
We want the Scottish Government to:
1. Bring rents under control: Introduce rent controls that ensure rents are set at affordable levels, and that increases don't force tenants into poverty. Rents should be determined by the quality, size, location and facilities of the home.
2. Protect tenants from eviction: Get rid of the 'no-fault' ground for eviction, so that tenants cannot be evicted unjustly. Ensure that all grounds for eviction are 'discretionary', so that a tenants circumstances are taken into consideration.
