SPF response to Housing Bill stage I consultation

This is our response to Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 Consultation to the Scottish Parliament's Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee. Our main concern is the detrimental impact of the rent control proposals on investment in the supply of new rental accommodation in Scotland.

We continue to have our reservations on any form of rent control policy because the evidence suggests that rent controls have not succeeded in attracting or sustaining new investment into the supply of new rental accommodation in other European countries. The impact of the emergency rent control legislation in Scotland also confirms this. However, in our response we have outlined that if rent controls are to be introduced, the system would require a number of elements to maintain some form of investment in Scotland.

We have suggested the need for a clearly defined rent control mechanism to include a provision for index-linked inflation and be subject to a sensible cap (suggested CPI +1, capped at 6%). We also advocate that rent controls should be linked to the tenancy not the property and requirement for accurate rental data to inform the need to enact controls and to ensure future policy is evidence based.

Read the full response to the consultation below