The Scottish Government is working to encourage a thriving private rented sector, which provides good quality and well managed accommodation, and in which both landlords and tenants understand their rights and responsibilities.
Initiatives to promote this include:
- Landlord Registration: private landlords must register with their local authority to ensure that minimum legal requirements are met.
- Voluntary Accreditation of Landlords promotes best practice in management standards in the private rented sector. The national voluntary landlord accreditation scheme, Landlord Accreditation Scotland is open to private landlords and letting agents across Scotland.
- Mandatory Licensing of Houses in Multiple Occupation applies to houses or flats occupied by three or more unrelated people who share bathroom or kitchen facilities.
- The Repairing Standard increases legal requirements on repair and maintenance in the private rented sector, which tenants will be able to enforce more easily through the Private Rented Housing Panel.
- Safeguarding Tenancy Deposits. The Tenancy Deposit Schemes (Scotland) Regulations came into force on 7 March 2011. Scottish Ministers are now considering proposals for the operation of a national tenancy deposit scheme, or schemes. More details.
- All private renting is subject to legislation, which varies depending on the particular circumstances of the tenancy or occupancy agreement. A number of leaflets on tenancy issues are available on this site, together with copies of forms required in connection with assured and short assured tenancies.
More advice for tenants and landlords. - The Private Rented Housing (Scotland) Act 2011 will support responsible landlords and address more effectively the problems caused by landlords who act unlawfully, by strengthening the regulation of the private rented sector. We are currently working towards implementation of the provisions within the Act, which include: changes to the registration of private landlords; amendments to the Housing in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing regime; introduction of the Overcrowding Statutory Notice; and introduction of the Tenant Information Pack. To fully engage with stakeholders during the implementation of the Act, we have established an Implementation Group which brings together stakeholders from across Scotland with an interest in the private rented sector.
To do this a number of schemes have been put in place or are being developed. These include the Private Rented Sector Strategy Group