A HOMELESS charity has set up specialist online hub for private sector tenants following a rise in those seeking advice.
Almost half of the calls to Shelter Scotland’s housing helpline last year came from those in private lets.
Accommodation in this sector accounts for just 14 per cent of households but during the past year private tenants accounted for 42 per cent of calls to the charity, a rise from 5,120 in 2014-15 to 5,350.
Shelter said it is “worried by the disproportionate number of calls from private renters” and has established an online hub to provide further support. Almost one in five of all homeless applications to Scottish councils last year were from households who rented from private landlords.
Shelter Scotland claims 330,000 households currently rent from a private landlord, and around 85,000 of these include children.
Graeme Brown, director of Shelter Scotland, said: “Despite only representing 14 per cent of all households in Scotland, 42 per cent of all calls handled by our free national helpline in the last year were from people renting privately.
“All too often we hear of people living in disrepair, being evicted or rents increasing unreasonably, forcing families and individuals into the disruptive cycle of having to move house – every six months in some cases – preventing them from ever being able to put down strong roots and being part of a community.
“We want private renters to have the right and access to long-term homes, not just short-term housing and this new hub is another step towards that goal. By informing tenants of their rights and responsibilities on issues such as illegal evictions, deposit protection, rent rises and disrepair, we hope to work towards building a better and fairer private rented sector for all.”
The forthcoming Private Tenancies Bill sets out new rules on property standards and aims to empower councils to impose rent controls in high pressure areas.
Shelter Scotland’s Private Renting Hub can be accessed via www.shelterscotland.org/renting-privately/
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