Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Bill: island communities impact assessment

3. Consultation

Given the need to progress the measures in this Bill urgently in the light of the ongoing and increasing effects of the cost crisis, no formal public consultation has taken place and therefore no specific consultation with island communities on these measures has been undertaken.

Whilst there has not been the opportunity to consult specifically on the temporary emergency measures, the recent New Deal for Tenants draft Rented Sector Strategy Consultation^[10] consulted widely on a draft strategy for the rented sector (both private and social rented) which covered a broad range of areas. Those respondents to the consultation who raised issues affecting island communities in particular raised concerns about current affordability and supply of housing and about fuel poverty issues. (It should be borne in mind that the cost of living crisis and its impacts have become much more pronounced in the months since the consultation closed, and the impacts of these may therefore not have been fully reflected as a factor in consultation responses).

Rent Controls – New Deal for Tenants Consultation

Whilst the New Deal for Tenants consultation did not specify in detail the form of rent control being proposed it did set out the high level vision and principles to underpin legislation on rent controls which is planned for later in the current parliamentary term. Of the two island local authorities which responded to the questions on rent control and allowed for their responses to be published, one agreed with rent controls in principle but made no further comment (Comhairle nan Eilean Siar), and the other supported the theory but expressed concern that there was a need to ensure that any model of rent control does not significantly impact on the supply of private rented tenancies, due to the number of ‘accidental’ landlords without large portfolios in remote rural and island areas (Argyll and Bute).

Whilst the concern raised about the possible impact on supply was in relation to consultation on principles for longer lasting legislative provision we consider that the concerns raised may also be relevant to the temporary emergency measures, and we aware that there is some anecdotal evidence that some landlords in the private rented sector are considering vacating the market.