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Official Report: search what was said in Parliament

The Official Report is a written record of public meetings of the Parliament and committees.  

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Dates of parliamentary sessions
  1. Session 1: 12 May 1999 to 31 March 2003
  2. Session 2: 7 May 2003 to 2 April 2007
  3. Session 3: 9 May 2007 to 22 March 2011
  4. Session 4: 11 May 2011 to 23 March 2016
  5. Session 5: 12 May 2016 to 5 May 2021
  6. Current session: 12 May 2021 to 24 November 2024
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Displaying 575 contributions

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Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 18 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

That is even worse. How much of that was due to the fact that there was a rent cap and a rent freeze in place because of Covid?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 18 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

It was 3 per cent.

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

So you would be supportive of the bill’s proposal to support information services for private let tenants and so on?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

I have some quick questions, which I will roll together.

In the first evidence session today, we heard that, since 2017, only just over 200 cases had gone through the rent adjudication process. Why is that, and how do we improve access for tenants?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

I will ask about rent adjudication and your views on how we can improve it. However, first, I want to ask Deborah Hay a quick follow-up question. When you sell a property, you have to produce a home report. Should there be something similar for landlords when they put a property on the market for rent?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

We have talked a lot this morning about the importance of the tenant-landlord relationship and the fact that that might have an impact on the low numbers of people who go through the rent adjudication process. There are also vulnerable tenants who might not have the knowledge of how they can appeal. I think that it might have been Anna Evans who said that, if there is no alternative home, people are not going to complain. What needs to be done to improve the take-up of rent adjudication, given that minefield?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

My last question is for Joshua Davies and Anna Evans. The research by Indigo House has found that low-income tenants in particular do not feel secure in their privately rented homes and continue to fear eviction if they complain or challenge landlord activity. Can you say a bit more about that?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

Yes—I have an additional question.

Alex, you spoke about international comparisons. In your written evidence, you highlighted that, in Germany, landlords have to advertise their proposed rent offer as well as the relevant ceiling for the rent control area. Could you say whether that has any impact on the market?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

Is there anything that we can do to address that?

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee

Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1

Meeting date: 11 June 2024

Gordon MacDonald

Is there anything that can be done to enforce the situation with landlords? Should there be a series of fines on landlords if they do not follow through on what they originally proposed?