Rented sector reform: Housing (Scotland) Bill: business and regulatory impact assessment

Objectives

The Bill is ambitious in responding to the need to improve the housing outcomes in Scotland for people who live in rented accommodation, while continuing to safeguard the proportionate use of a landlord’s property for rental purposes, seeking to deliver a fair balance between protection for tenants and the rights of landlords.

The overall objective of the rented sector reform measures in the Bill is to take forward legislative changes that will contribute to achieving our vision for housing and deliver reforms that:

i. improve affordability by introducing a framework for an effective national system of rent controls in the PRS, that takes account of local circumstances in relation to rent levels;

ii. improve the renting experience through the creation of new rights for tenants, such as through the right to request and not be unreasonably refused permission to make changes to personalise their home and to keep pets; and

iii. enhance and strengthen certain aspects of the current regulatory framework, ensuring they work for both tenants and landlords and balance their respective rights.