CHAPTER NINE SUMMARY OF FINDINGS - INFORMING THE PRS BASELINE
Introduction
9.1 The findings of the study will be used to assist in establishing the overall baseline information on PRS tenants across Scotland. This is part of the wider assembly of evidence on the PRS that the Scottish Government is undertaking.
9.2 This concluding chapter highlights the main findings from the study. We have presented these to mirror the overall report structure based on the key themes of:
- Stock, accommodation and tenant profile
- Housing pathways of tenants
- Tenant experience of landlord/letting services and property
- The tenant experience of finance and costs
- Tenant rights and responsibilities
9.3 The final section of this chapter also presents some conclusions drawn from this study. These span both potential implications for policy and also opportunities to build on the current research and further enhance the government's expertise and knowledge of the sector.
Stock, accommodation and tenant profile
9.4 Currently it is estimated that 8% of all Scottish households live in the private rented sector.
9.5 Areas with higher than average shares of PRS stock tend to be cities, rural areas and islands. Those areas where the private rented sector appears less significant are generally local authorities neighbouring larger cities and those with a mixed urban/rural profile. Data from 2006 show that nearly half (46%) of the total PRS stock in Scotland is located in the four main cities and one fifth (20%) in 'other' urban areas. Nearly one quarter (24%) is located in rural areas and 5% is in 'remote' or 'very remote' small towns.
9.6 The 2008 Tenant Survey undertaken for this study shows that around two-thirds, 66%, of all the PRS tenants lived in flats and 30% live in houses. There is significant variation between rural and urban areas with 87% of PRS tenants in urban areas living in flats compared to only 9% in rural areas. Younger tenants are more likely to live in flats while older tenants are more likely to live in houses. This partly reflects the different stock profiles in urban and rural areas, as well as the different age profiles of tenants and the role that the sector plays in urban and rural areas.
9.7 According to the 2004 Scottish House Condition Survey, approximately 23% of the PRS stock is one bedroom properties, 47% two bedrooms and 23% three bedrooms. This profile is broadly similar to the social rented sector (although there is a greater proportion of 3 bedroom stock in the SRS). The 2008 Tenants Survey shows that just under half (47%) of tenancies are let furnished, with 39% unfurnished and 14% partially furnished. This varies between urban and rural areas - in rural areas the vast majority of tenancies are unfurnished (84%, compared with 61% in urban areas).
9.8 Single people make up a disproportionate number of PRS tenancies: in 2006, 34% of PRS tenancies were held by single person households, while single person households made up just 16% of households across all tenures. There is also a slightly higher level of lone parents in the sector - accounting for 9% of PRS renters, compared with 6% of households overall. Family households, single pensioners and other older households are all less likely to be private renters.
9.9 PRS tenants also tend to be relatively young - in 2006, 27% of the youngest age groups (16-30yrs) were private renters compared with 8% of those aged 31-44yrs and 5% of those aged 75+yrs.
9.10 In terms of economic status 43% of tenants were in full-time employment in 2006, with 12% self-employed or in part-time employment. A further 16% were students and 11% reported being permanently retired from work.
9.11 'Non-white' households are over-represented in the private rented sector: almost one-third (32%) of non-white households live in the PRS compared with 7% of 'white' households.
Housing pathways of tenants
9.12 The 2006 Scottish Household Survey found that 40% of all PRS households had lived at their current address for less than one year compared to 9% of all households. The 2008 Tenant Survey also found evidence of high turnover in the PRS, 47% of respondents having lived at their current address for less than one year and a further 17% having lived there between one and two years.
9.13 PRS tenants who had lived in their home for a longer period tended to be older people living in rural areas. For example 30% of tenants in rural areas said that they had lived at their current address for over ten years compared to just 4% of 'urban' tenants. Younger tenants are generally more mobile with shorter residency periods.
9.14 Tenants use a number of mechanisms to find a home, the most important being an estate/letting agent or solicitor (used by 23% of respondents), newspapers (14%) and the internet (13%). However 'informal' mechanisms remain significant, with one-fifth (20%) of tenants using 'word of mouth' or a recommendation from friends, family or acquaintances. In rural areas the 'word of mouth'/recommendation route and through employers appear to be more important, whereas estate agents are less important.
9.15 Sixty-six per cent of tenants did not report any difficulty in finding accommodation and a further 10% described the process as 'neither easy nor difficult'. Nonetheless, over one-fifth (22%) thought that it had been 'fairly' or 'very' difficult to find appropriate housing. The most commonly cited reasons for this were a lack of available properties in their preferred location and the high cost of rents in the sector. Availability of properties in the right location and of the right size appeared to be more problematic in rural areas, whereas high rent levels were more of an issue in urban areas. Only one fifth of tenants who had difficulties sourcing accommodation cited poor quality properties as a factor (mainly by tenants in urban areas).
9.16 The most common reason that tenants chose the PRS was to access short-term accommodation (31% of tenants). A significant proportion of tenants were in the PRS because they were unable to access appropriate housing in other tenures. For example 29% were living in the PRS because they could not afford owner-occupation, 13% because they could not get a social rented property and 7% were in the PRS while on a social rented housing waiting list.
9.17 The Scottish Household Survey found that around 7% of respondents in the private rented sector have experienced homelessness.
9.18 High tenancy turnover is a feature of the PRS: just over a third of tenants plan to move within the next year (38%). However, there is also a more stable element in the sector; around a quarter of tenants would not expect to move again. Stability is particularly associated with tenants in rural areas, where half (50%) of the tenants would not expect to move again, and just 13% expect to move within the next year. In contrast, 48% of urban tenants are more likely to expect to move within the next year, and just 17% would not expect to move. Younger tenants and those in multiple adult households are particularly likely to expect to move within the next year.
9.19 Likelihood of moving is also associated with tenant satisfaction, with those who are dissatisfied with their current home more likely to want to move within the next year (62% compared with 36% of those satisfied with their home). Tenants who are not satisfied with their landlord/agent are also more likely to expect to move in the next year than those who are satisfied (69%/77% compared with 36%/38%).
9.20 Of those that expect to move the most frequently mentioned tenure destination was the PRS - accounting for almost two in five respondents. A number of factors seem linked to preferred tenure of the next home.
- Urban/rural Rural tenants were much less likely than tenants as a whole to expect to remain in the PRS when they next move, with home ownership (in particular, buying with a mortgage) the most frequently mentioned destination.
- Age Likelihood of wanting to remain in the PRS in their next home declines as the tenants' ages increase. Thus 59% of tenants aged 16-21yrs expect to remain in the PRS when they next move compared with just 17% of those aged 50+yrs. On the other hand likelihood of wanting to move into social renting increases as the tenants' ages increase. Expectation of buying a property initially rises (peaking in the 35-49yrs group) and then falls away for older tenants (just 12% of those aged 50+ yrs).
- Income Low-income tenants in receipt of housing benefit are less likely to expect to remain in the PRS (25%) and much more likely to expect to move to the SRS (42%).
- Household type Single parents were more likely to expect to move into SRS housing (44%), while multiple adult households are more likely to expect to remain in the PRS on their next move (60%).
The tenant experience of landlord/letting services and property
9.21 The 2008 Tenant Survey found that 86% of tenants rented from a private landlord, 9% from a friend or relative and 4% from an employer. A much higher proportion of tenants (14%) in rural areas rented from their employer than those in urban areas (1%).
9.22 The majority of tenants deal solely with a landlord. However, around 40% of tenants either deal partly or solely with the landlords' agent (30% for rural tenancies). As might be expected, tenants with "less formal" tenancies were much less likely to live in properties managed by an agent (17% and 22% respectively, compared with 40% overall).
9.23 Only 28% of tenants said that they had heard of Landlord Registration, while 69% had not. Those tenants born outside the UK and of 'other' ethnic origin appeared to be less aware of Landlord Registration. Overall, 18% of tenants knew whether their landlord was registered with the local authority or had applied to register. Younger tenants were more likely to be aware of this (24%).
9.24 Around half (48%) of tenants said that they would check in future whether a prospective landlord was registered or in the process of doing so, a further 26% they would 'maybe' check. Notably, 13% said that they would not check. Younger tenants appeared to be more likely to check (68%).
9.25 Levels of awareness of accreditation were slightly higher that those found for Landlord Registration - with 29% of tenants knowing whether their landlord was accredited. Again younger tenants appeared to be more aware of this (38%).
9.26 While the current level of awareness of accreditation is low, 62% of tenants felt that it would either be 'very' or 'fairly' important to consider this in future choices. Again, tenants in rural areas were less likely to consider this important (42% compared with 71% of urban tenants) and younger tenants were more likely to consider it important (75% of 16-21 year olds compared with only 20% of those aged 50+).
9.27 For tenants, the most important reasons for seeking an accredited landlord were: reassurance that the landlord meets good standards, the property is in good condition, they can identify good landlords more easily and a complaints procedure is available if things go wrong. For those that felt accreditation was not important the main reasons were because they trusted their own judgement (42%) and because they needed to take what is available (29%).
9.28 The recording of an inventory at the start of a tenancy is important in minimising the potential for disputes arising during or at the end of the tenancy. Less than two-thirds (63%) of tenants reported that an inventory had been undertaken, falling to two-fifths in rural areas (although this may be because rural tenancies are much more likely to be unfurnished, and expected to last longer periods). There was also a clear relationship between the age of the tenant and whether or not an inventory was undertaken - with the likelihood of an inventory having been undertaken declining with age (80% of those aged 16-21yrs have inventories, compared with just 33% of those aged 50+yrs). Tenants who had not paid a deposit were also less likely to have an inventory - 36% compared to 72% who had paid a deposit.
9.29 The vast majority of tenants (85%) were satisfied with their landlord and only 5% were dissatisfied. Satisfaction with agents is slightly lower: 78% were satisfied with their agent and 13% were dissatisfied. There is a clear relationship between satisfaction with landlord/agent, and the tenant's satisfaction with their home. For example just 38% of those dissatisfied with their property are satisfied with their landlord, and 33% are satisfied with their agent.
9.30 Tenants were asked their reasons for dissatisfaction and were allowed to choose more than one. The principal reason that people gave for being dissatisfied was that their landlord/agent takes too long to deal with problems (42 complaints). The other main reasons were: not responding to calls/emails (25 complaints), rude/unhelpful (22 complaints), rent too high (16 complaints), doesn't deal with repairs properly (8 complaints), entering property without notice (6 complaints) and the use of threatening/violent behaviour (4 complaints).
9.31 Around two-fifths of the tenants dissatisfied with their landlord/agent had either sought advice or taken action to address the problem, for example by complaining to the landlord/agent, or receiving advice from an agency or council. However the majority of tenants taking action felt it had only been partly or not effective.
9.32 All tenants were asked whether they had heard of mediation, as a means of resolving issues between tenants and their landlord/agent. Only a third had heard of this type of mediation. On the other hand there appeared to be a relatively high level of willingness to use mediation to resolve a dispute with their landlord with 60% of tenants reporting that they would.
9.33 Eight-five percent of tenants reported that they were satisfied with their home, while just one in ten were dissatisfied. Satisfaction levels were similar across urban and rural areas. However, some groups of tenants were less likely to be satisfied, such as those with children and those in receipt of full housing benefit. Reasons for dissatisfaction with the property included minor or major repairs issues, unsuitable property size, neighbour problems, infestations, poor quality fixtures/fittings and rent levels.
9.34 One third of tenants reported having specific problems including electricity or gas meter services in disrepair; fixtures, fittings and appliances in poor repair; and not wind or watertight. The vast majority of homes do have a smoke detector/fire alarm, although around one in ten properties in rural areas and one in twenty properties in urban areas do not.
9.35 Seventy-one percent of tenants in properties with gas appliances said that they knew their landlord had a valid gas safety certificate. A very small proportion of tenants said their property did not have a valid certificate and 25% said that they did not know. Awareness levels were low among some key groups, and particularly among people who were born outside the UK (33%).
9.36 The majority of tenants who had previously lived in the PRS (72%of 439 respondents) had not experienced any problems in their former tenancies, while around one fifth (19%) said they had problems with repairs, and 9% of tenants said they had had all or part of their deposit unfairly withheld in a previous tenancy 55.
9.37 Only 19 tenants said they have previously experienced receiving formal notice to quit before the end of their tenancy. In a number of these cases, very little notice had been given - with four tenants being asked to leave within a week, and another four being asked to leave within a fortnight 56.
9.38 All tenants who had previously lived in the Scottish PRS (439 tenants) were asked if they had ever not paid their last month's rent. There were just 18 tenants who said that they had previously withheld their last month's rent, primarily because of concerns that the landlord would not return the deposit, repairs or other problems, or because they could not afford it.
9.39 Around one in ten tenants had a disability or a limiting long-term illness ( LLTI) that affects their ability to carry out normal everyday activities. The 2008 Tenant Survey indicated that LLTI rates are higher in rural areas. This may be because properties in rural areas are typically houses, rather than flats, and are likely to be more suitable for people with particular needs, and because the age profile of tenants in rural areas is older than that for urban areas.
9.40 Only about a third of tenants with disability or LLTI said they require adaptations to their home. In most of these cases the required changes have been made, and were made with the landlord/agent's cooperation. There were just 12 cases where an adaptation was required but had not been made. The main reasons for this were financial and because the tenant did not know how to go about having the change made.
The tenant experience of finance and costs
9.41 According to the 2008 Tenant Survey 74% of tenants had paid a deposit, while 25% had not. Tenants in urban areas appeared more likely to have paid a deposit (80%). The most common deposit is one month's rent (81% of all tenants paying a deposit). Around 5% paid two month's rent or more, while 8% had paid less than a month's rent.
9.42 Funding a deposit presented a barrier to the PRS for a small number of tenants. Seven per cent of the tenants (mainly in urban areas) who had had difficulties finding PRS accommodation said that this was because of problems raising a deposit. It should be noted that these are all tenants who have successfully moved into the PRS; there may be other households that want to move into the sector, but cannot because they cannot fund a deposit.
9.43 The vast majority of tenants, 87%, did not have to pay any fee at the start or during their tenancy. Approximately 9% said they did pay a fee with the most commonly cited being 'administration' such as advertising, reference or overhead costs. Tenants born outside the UK appeared more likely to have to pay a fee. The value of fees charged range from up to £100 (51% of tenants who paid a fee) to over £501 (9% of those paying a fee).
9.44 The average rent figure is £403, with most tenants paying up to £400 per month (54% of tenants). A further 31% of tenants paid more that £400 (15% refused/were unable to provide rent information). A service or maintenance charge is included in the rents for 35% of tenants, and is more common in urban areas. An additional charge (over and above the rent) was made in 2% of cases.
9.45 Rents are generally collected monthly (72% of tenants). The most common method for paying is standing order or direct debit (57%), cash (20%) and cheque (10%). Eight per cent were through local authority direct payments.
9.46 Department for Work and Pensions statistics (Mar 2007) show that 13% of all housing benefit claimants were private sector tenants, and 87% were social renters. Data for the period 2005-2007 indicate that there around 50-54,000 PRS housing benefit claimants in Scotland (that is around 21%-24% of PRS tenants). Seventeen per cent of tenants in the 2008 Survey receiving housing benefit to help with their rent - 8% of tenants having all their rent paid, 6% having half paid and 3% having less than half paid. Most of the 175 tenants who receive housing benefit (87%) are not in employment.
9.47 The majority (82%) of tenants were not in receipt of Housing Benefit. Most of these are single person households (53%) or lone parents (15%). Households with three adults or more are least likely to receive Housing Benefit (3%).
9.48 According to the Scottish Household Survey the average (mean) weekly income of PRS tenants is estimated at approximately £320 compared to £551 for those buying with a loan or mortgage. As would be expected, there is considerable variation on PRS tenants' incomes, with single pensioners, single adult and single parents on incomes below the average PRS figure.
9.49 In terms of affordability, the Scottish Household Survey shows that a relatively high proportion of private rented tenants pay 25% or more of their income on their rent. In 2006, 39% of private renters were in this position compared to 10% of council renters.
9.50 The 2008 Tenant Survey also investigated tenants' views on the affordability of their home. While 47% of tenants reported that it is very easy or quite easy to afford the rent, 21% said that it was 'fairly difficult' and 8% said it was 'very difficult' to afford their rent. Those that find it 'fairly' difficult tend to be 'urban' tenants, younger and with a significant proportion in employment - 35% full-time and 12% part-time. Of those that find it 'very difficult' the profile is similar although a larger proportion of women appeared to be in this group and 75% are not in employment.
Tenant rights and responsibilities
9.51 Just over nine out of ten tenants (91%) in the 2008 Tenant Survey said they had a written and signed tenancy agreement. However 7% did not and a further 1% didn't know if this was the case. Tenants in rural areas are slightly less likely to have a written tenancy agreement. Half of all tenants (50%) have a short assured tenancy; 18% assured; 18% a lease agreement and 2% an agricultural tenancy.
9.52 Around half of tenants (49%) agreed with the retention of six months as the minimum tenancy period. There was also a high level of agreement for increasing the minimum tenancy length - around a quarter favoured a minimum of one year, and a further tenth favouring a minimum of two years. There was very little support for a reduction in the minimum length of tenancy. Tenants in rural areas appeared more likely to agree with an extension of tenancy length and preference for this also increases as the age of the tenant increases. Notably, these households are generally those that have lived in their current home for relatively long periods.
9.53 Most tenants felt that their landlord had made their rights and responsibilities clear at the start of their tenancy (84% and 89% respectively). Very few felt that their landlord had not made their rights and responsibilities clear (8% and 6% respectively).
9.54 However, 22% of tenants consider that they do not understand their rights (7% agreeing 'strongly' and 15% 'slightly'). Tenants in urban areas were more likely to agree strongly with this. At the same time, the majority of tenants felt that they did understand their rights (67%). Notably, younger tenants appear more aware of their rights - only around 19% of those aged 16-24yrs agreed that they did not understand their rights compared to 26% of 35-49 year olds.
9.55 Seven out of ten (70%) tenants felt that they understood the legal processes a landlord would have to go through to end their tenancy. However the level of agreement with this statement appeared to be higher among 'urban' tenants - 42% agreeing strongly compared to 28% of 'rural' tenants. One-fifth (20%) of tenants felt that they did not understand their rights, with older tenants more likely to say that they do not understand the legal processes associated with tenancy termination.
9.56 Most tenants (69%) did not report receiving any support or advice about private renting. Assistance is generally informal with 17% using friends and family for advice on private renting - a pattern that was similar in both urban and rural areas. Of the more formal mechanisms Citizens Advice Bureaux (6%) and student accommodation offices (5%) were the next most commonly cited routes, followed by local authorities (4%) and solicitors (3%). Older renters appear to be less likely to seek any advice or support on private renting.
9.57 Seventy-eight percent of tenants said they had not needed to find out about their rights. A small proportion of tenants, 4%, said they had encountered problems in finding out about their rights. The main reason cited was that they did not know where to go to find this type of information.
9.58 Awareness levels of the relatively new government initiatives are low. Only 11% of tenants had heard of the Private Rented Housing Panel with 12% aware of the Repairing Standard. Younger tenants (16-22yrs) were slightly more aware than average, while those without a written agreement and born outside the UK tended to have relatively low levels of awareness.
Policy implications
9.59 The private rented sector plays a key role in the housing system across Scotland. This study has provided further evidence of the wide range of needs it meets including students, migrant workers, people in full and part-time employment as well as low-income households in receipt of housing benefit. In recent years while there has been little change in traditional aspects of demand such as the student market, other groups have become more prominent. These include migrant workers and those that aspire to, but are unable to afford owner-occupation. A number of specific policy issues arise from the study that the Scottish Government might consider.
Satisfaction with the sector
9.60 It is essential to remember that the majority of the tenants surveyed (85%) were satisfied with both their landlord/agent and also their property. This clearly suggests that the sector is meeting the need and demand for housing and that it is generally well managed. However, the PRS is not perfect, and issues such as affordability (rents and deposits), repairs, supply of properties and awareness of rights are concerns for some tenants in the sector.
The PRS in urban and rural areas
9.61 The role of the PRS is different in urban and rural housing systems. Typically, the sector in rural areas provides stable accommodation; low cost housing, often in remote areas; properties tend to be houses and unfurnished; and may be associated with the tenants' employment. Tenants tend to remain in their home for many years. In urban areas, the sector tends to play a more transitional role: it accommodates students, young professionals, in-migrants, and people who are waiting to, or are unable to, access social rented or owner occupied housing. Properties tend to be flats and are let furnished.
9.62 There is also some evidence of differences in tenant experiences in urban and rural areas. In rural areas there appears to be a sense of 'informality' with a higher proportion of tenants reporting that they did not have a written and signed tenancy agreement and also being less likely to have paid a deposit or fee for their current property when compared to those in urban areas. This 'informality' may also translate into lack of awareness of legal rights. For example a slightly higher proportion of tenants in rural areas felt they did not understand their rights and a higher proportion did not understand the legal process that landlords would have to go through to end their tenancy and/or evict them.
9.63 These differences suggest that policy development and implementation for the PRS has to pay particular attention to the role of the sector in urban and rural settings, and consider the potentially different implications for policy in urban and rural areas.
Tenants' rights and responsibilities
9.64 Scottish Government is currently implementing a series of measures directed at the PRS, including mandatory landlord registration, promotion of landlord accreditation, implementation of the repairing standard and the Private Rented Housing Panel. These measures are designed to improve the quality of housing and housing management in the PRS, and to improve tenants' rights within the sector.
9.65 Levels of awareness of new initiatives such as the Repairing Standard and the Private Rented Housing Panel were low. Similarly the awareness of Landlord Registration and accreditation is still relatively low. However, tenants were receptive to the idea of checking whether future landlords were registered and accredited. Notably fewer tenants said that they would definitely check whether a future landlord was registered than would check whether a future landlord was accredited. This tends to indicate that tenants are more concerned with reassurance on good standards and property condition. Accreditation is currently voluntary - the survey suggests the importance of current policies promoting and extending accreditation in the sector.
9.66 Low awareness in all of these measures is hardly surprising - the measures have all been implemented recently. Indeed for most tenants they were implemented some time after they moved into their current home, so they would not have received information about the Repairing Standard at the start of their let, and nor could they have used registration or accreditation to inform their choice of landlord.
9.67 However, the survey also found that some tenants feel they are not fully aware of their rights, and some have experienced difficulties in resolving repairs and other issues. It also found that tenants in multi-tenant households showed a lack of knowledge of HMO licensing.
9.68 It is important that the Scottish Government continues to closely monitor levels of awareness and service use.
9.69 Higher profile publicity at both national and local level may be required to increase overall awareness. The methods used to disseminate information about tenants' rights and new initiatives must be carefully considered. The survey found that most tenants do not seek formal information or advice about private renting. Indeed, when information is required, tenants are more likely to use informal routes such as friends and family rather than housing advice agencies.
Extending the role of PRS
9.70 The government is considering whether the PRS could play a greater role in housing homeless households and low income households. The literature review, and respondents to Firm Foundations, agree that such an extension is possible, but should only be undertaken if tenants' rights in the sector were enhanced, and if the quality of housing and housing management were of an acceptable standard.
9.71 The survey explored existing tenants' views on minimum tenancy length. This showed that most respondents favoured either the current position (49%), or an increase to at least a year (23%). Support for the extension of the minimum length of tenancy was stronger among tenants who had been in their current home for more than six months. It was also stronger among those in rural areas (many of whom have lived in their current home for several years) and tenants in receipt of housing benefit (who typically would not expect to move for another year or two, or who would not expect to move at all).
9.72 Many tenants clearly value the flexibility of supply that is achieved with a six-month tenancy. The majority of tenants had found it either 'very easy' or 'quite easy' to find a property (although just over one in five tenants found it difficult to some degree - mainly because of a lack of supply or high rent levels).
9.73 The Scottish Government will have to consider the potential impact of any proposed extension of tenancy length on both the flexibility and supply in the sector from the tenant perspective. Almost by definition longer tenancy periods may result in reduced turnover and subsequently supply.
In-migrants
9.74 One of the main changes in the demand patterns for the PRS in Scotland in recent years has been its role in meeting the needs of in-migrants - around one quarter of survey respondents were born outside the UK. The survey evidence points to the fact that the sector plays a major role in housing young and economically active in-migrants as well as overseas students. In-migrant households were generally satisfied with their housing: although satisfaction with property was slightly lower than tenants generally - 79% compared with 85% of all tenants.
9.75 The PRS is key to ensuring that a flexible housing option is available for these groups. They are also more likely to remain in the PRS rather than move to other tenures. The wider Government initiative to encourage in-migration and promote economic growth requires a vibrant, affordable and good quality PRS to assist in meeting this type of need in the future.
Future research
9.76 Finally, we draw together areas of future research on PRS tenants' experiences and views of the sector that should be considered by research commissioners:
9.77 Updating the survey evidence The survey component of this study provides a snapshot of the tenant profile in the PRS. To ensure that this study is built on and changes in the sector are tracked we would recommend that the Scottish Government undertakes a PRS survey at periods of no more than five years. While not all data will be comparable over time, general trends will be. The study also drew on very useful survey data from the Scottish Household Survey and the Scottish House Condition Survey. It would be useful if this information was updated on a yearly/two-yearly basis.
9.78 Housing homeless households in the PRS The study highlighted some of the issues with regard to the PRS generally being viewed as a short-term housing option for many households. Given current proposals to allow local authorities to discharge their homeless duty where a homeless household is content to live in the PRS, the Scottish Government may want to undertake some further in-depth qualitative research with groups in housing need with a specific emphasis on the PRS: exploring their housing aspirations, views on living in the PRS, and how they would need to be supported, if at all, to have a settled life in the PRS.
9.79 Housing pathways The study referred to information from the Survey of English Housing on moves in and out of the private rented sector and, in particular to the increasing proportion of emerging households that are moving into the private rented sector. Similar data are not published for Scotland. We would recommend investigating the capacity of the SHS or SHCS to produce this information (either from existing questions or by including new questions) to identify who has moved in the past year and, where there has been a move, the tenure of their previous home.
9.80 Increasing awareness of rights and duties The study revealed that private sector tenants tend not to use formal resources to obtain information and advice on renting in the private sector. This is despite a quite significant emphasis in the past decade or so on the development of housing advice and option type services. Given the raft of new measures that are being implemented to improve services for PRS tenants, as well as further clarification of their responsibilities as a tenant, it is important that the government develops a clearer understanding of how tenants source information on their PRS options to inform future awareness strategies.
9.81 An area where tenants' rights and responsibilities come into sharpest focus is around the return of any deposit at the end of the tenancy. The interaction between tenancy deposits, fees and landlord and tenant behaviour is difficult to unravel. For example in this study we found 56 tenants reported having had a deposit withheld. Whereas some tenants found this to be reasonable, around half took action to recover their deposit (in total 11 tenants received all or part of the deposit back, while 13 did not). It is not possible to tell whether the landlords were justified in withholding deposit in the other cases. Given the importance of deposits in the PRS, research to enable detailed analysis of withheld deposits would assist the government in determining whether specific measures are required to ensure deposits that should be returned are recovered.
9.82 The survey did not provide an opportunity to explore tenants' responses to questions on satisfaction, awareness, and future plans. For example, it was not possible to explore why people thought the short assured tenancy should remain at six months, nor any caveats that they would attach to their response. If Scottish Government considers that more information is required on people's understanding of right and responsibilities, initiatives that have recently been enacted, and of the impact of the current SAT on their use of the sector/views on potential changes to the SAT, it may be helpful to convene a number of focus groups (both of current tenants and of homeless households - and particularly the type of homeless households for whom the PRS may be appropriate).