A New Deal for Tenants - draft strategy: consultation

Chapter Seven: Next Steps And Timeframe

The consultation on the Draft Rented Sector Strategy was launched on 20 December 2021 and will run until 15th April 2022. Following the closing date, all responses will be analysed and considered along with any other available evidence to develop and publish a final strategy, by the end of 2022, which will benefit from the input of a wide range of views and interests, including tenants.

Please note that a consultation on proposals for new duties to prevent homelessness was launched in December 2021, and will run until 31st March 2022. That consultation also includes questions on the role of private and social landlords.

Next Steps: A phased approach to implementing improvements

The final version of the strategy in 2022 will set out our updated policy position and a timeline for delivery. This will include a timeline for delivering the legislative elements of the Strategy through the course of this Parliament, which will need to be carefully considered and worked through. Many of the issues related to enhancing tenants’ rights set out primarily in Chapter 3 are expected to be delivered in a Housing Bill, which we aim to introduce in the second year of this parliament.

Many other policy proposals contained in this consultation will also require legislation, for example establishing rent controls and a regulator for the private rented sector. We intend for legislation on these areas to be brought forward later in the Parliament with implementation of rent controls by the end of 2025. These will be subject to separate and detailed consultation activities and research.

It is important also to note that this Draft Strategy forms a key part of delivering the vision set out in Housing to 2040 and as such should be considered alongside wider, longer term commitments, such as delivering a further 110,000 affordable and energy efficient homes and introducing new housing standard (by 2025) which is applicable across all tenures.

The scale and ambition of this Strategy means that some proposals will take longer and will benefit from more detailed consideration, engagement and planning. That is why this Draft Strategy takes a high level and longer-term approach in some areas with a view to further input being invited from a range of stakeholders.

Responding to this consultation

You can submit a response at any time before the closing date. To give us your views, please access and respond to this consultation online at: https://consult.gov.scot/housing-and-social-justice/draft-rented-sector-strategy. There are no restrictions on who can respond to the consultation. You can save and return to your responses while the consultation is still open. Please ensure that consultation responses are submitted before the closing date.

If you are unable to respond using our consultation hub, please complete the Respondent Information Form and send to:

Private Housing Services and Legislation Team 4th Floor, 4 Atlantic Quay 150 Broomielaw Glasgow G2 8LU

Or email to: rentedstrategyconsultation@gov.scot

Respondent Information Form

The Respondent Information Form can be found within the supporting documents section.

Handling your response

If you respond using the https://consult.gov.scot/, you will be directed to the About You page before submitting your response. Please indicate how you wish your response to be handled and, in particular, whether you are content for your response to published. If you ask for your response not to be published, we will regard it as confidential, and we will treat it accordingly.

All respondents should be aware that the Scottish Government is subject to the provisions of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and would therefore have to consider any request made to it under the Act for information relating to responses made to this consultation exercise.

If you are unable to respond via Citizen Space, please complete and return the Respondent Information Form included in this document. (see supporting files)

To find out how we handle your personal data, please see our privacy policy.

Next steps in the process

Where respondents have given permission for their response to be made public, and after we have checked that they contain no potentially defamatory material, responses will be made available to the public at Citizen Space. If you use the consultation hub to respond, you will receive a copy of your response via email.

Responses will be published where we have been given permission to do so. An analysis report will also be made available.

Comments and complaints

If you have any comments about how this consultation exercise has been conducted, please send them to the contact address above or to: rentedstrategyconsultation@gov.scot.