Press Releases

The Scottish Property Federation (SPF) welcomes today’s announcement by Cabinet Secretary for Housing, Mairi McAllan MSP, indicating Government’s intent to exempt Mid-Market Rent and Built-to-Rent (BTR) properties from proposed rent controls in the Housing (Scotland) Bill. 

Commenting on the proposals, SPF Interim Director Robin Blacklock said:  

“Today’s statement marks a positive and reassuring step for the industry, demonstrating that our concerns have been acknowledged. The exemptions for Mid-Market Rent and BTR offers some long-awaited certainty for those investing in new homes for rent, which are vital to expanding Scotland’s rental housing supply.  

“We also support the target to achieve a minimum 10% year-on-year increase in housing delivery across all tenures over the next three years and welcome the government’s ambition to secure £4.9bn investment into the delivery of new affordable homes, which recognises the important role that private investment can play. These moves, combined with an ‘emergency-led’ approach to planning delivery will be critical to providing certainty and boosting Scotland’s housing supply. 

“Stage 3 of the Housing (Scotland) Bill, expected at the end of this month, will provide further clarity on other aspects of the legislation. It is crucial that an amended Bill receives cross-party support to effectively address Scotland’s housing emergency at last. 

“We remain committed to working collaboratively with the government and stakeholders to shape a pragmatic Housing Bill that promotes investment and development, ultimately increasing the supply of much-needed housing in Scotland.”