CAMPAIGNERS calling for a major overhaul of the private rental sector will today submit a petition to Holyrood urging MSPs to bring back rent controls.
Limits on rental increases in Scotland were abolished during the Thatcher years, but the Living Rent Campaign says rising living costs and deficiencies in housing stock mean MSPs must overturn this decision and regulate the sector.
The average rent on a two-bedroom flat in central Edinburgh is around £1,000, with prices in Aberdeen even higher.
The campaign is also asking Housing and Welfare Minister Margaret Burgess to end “unjust” no-fault evictions, where landlords can ask tenants to leave at the end of a contract with no reason given.
The petition has gathered around 8,000 signatures since its launch in June, and the campaign also has the backing of groups including the National Union of Students, domestic abuse charity Zero Tolerance and the Unite union. According to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the average person renting privately spends almost 25 per cent of their income on keeping a roof over their head.
This compares to 18 per cent of income for those in social housing and 11 per cent for owner-occupiers with a mortgage.
During the last decade the proportion of homes in the private rental sector has almost doubled to 15 per cent and the Living Rent Campaign says a “crisis” is developing.
It claims poor quality accommodation is leading to health problems and fuel poverty for tenants and harming child development as a lack of supply continues to push prices up.
Data from Citylets shows the average cost of a three-bedroom property in Dundee has risen by almost 19 per cent year-on-year.
Activists argue that rent controls would incentivise landlords to upgrade properties by capping the amount they are able to charge, based on the condition of the property they wish to let.
They also claim ending no-fault evictions would improve the stability of families renting privately.
Spokesman John Black said: “The thousands of signatures on this petition are a clear sign we need controls on sky-high rents and guarantees that people won’t be kicked out of their home for no good reason.
“Housing is a basic human need, and we have to make sure everyone has access to a safe and affordable home.
“We have been told heart-rending stories from tenants who have been made homeless by rent increases they can’t afford, people who have been evicted after asking for repairs, and families struggling to find appropriate accommodation within their budget. The state of the private rented sector is damaging people’s lives.
“Almost every other country in Europe already has rent controls and strong regulation to protect tenants’ rights.
“We’re calling on the Scottish Government to join them in ensuring that no one is left without a roof over their heads.”
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