Scottish Government commits to rent controls

That’s clever. Introduce rent controls and force landlords to ‘improve’ the EPCs with expensive and often damaging insulation.

That may work on the Scottish Government's planet but I fail to see how it might work on mine.

This is a bit of an odd one isn't it?

"First Minister John Swinney said proposals to give local authorities the power to cap rent increases would remain part of the Housing (Scotland) Bill....
Mr Swinney claimed the measures will give tenants certainty and encourage investment in the PRS."

So how will rent controls encourage investment in the PRS?

Report here on the impact of rent controls in the private rented sector:

https://bpf.org.uk/media/6296/2023-03-the-impact-of-rent-control-on-the-private-rented-sector-bpf-final.pdf#:~:text=Rent%20control%20can%20reduce%20rental%20housing%20supply%20both,from%20entering%2F%20encouraging%20them%20to%20leave%20the%20sector.

On page 4 under the heading of "The main disadvantages and unintended consequences" the report states "Reduced supply. Rent control can reduce rental housing supply by deterring investors from entering/encouraging them to leave the sector."

A new fool taking over from the previous fool.
Clearly something more drastic is required.
Forget devolution, Scotland needs a revolution!

The report also says "Reducing the profitability of any business inevitably impacts its attractiveness and a 2015 study asking landlords how they would respond to the introduction of rent stabilisation measures in London indicated that almost 60% would sell some of their properties as a result. Indeed, many countries, such as Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany, have abolished rent controls on new build housing in an attempt to reverse this trend."

Presumably these factors aren't thought to affect Planet SNP and unlike London, Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany on Planet SNP investors queue up to give their money away.

It looks as though Plaid Cymru are saying similar things in Wales:

https://www.netrent.co.uk/2024/06/17/plaid-cymru-proposes-rent-controls-in-wales-sparking-controversy/#:~:text=According%20to%20Plaid%20Cymru%E2%80%99s%20manifesto%2C%20the%20introduction%20of,of%20their%20homes%20due%20to%20soaring%20rental%20prices.

But the Senedd so far has rejected calls for rent controls. A post from today in the telegraph claims that plans to target second home owners in Tenby has backfired:

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/money/tax/holiday-let-tax-backfires-wales-tourism-dries-up/#:~:text=Tourist%20hotspots%20in%20Wales%20are,treble%20in%20the%20past%20year.

Apparently this is damaging the local economy and locals can't afford to buy the houses anyway. In areas of the country that are heavily dependent upon tourism if the only available work is in bars, restaurants, hotels and coffee shops attacking the source of that income and work is likely to do some damage.

What a lot of parties don't seem to have got to grips with in their '...lets bash landlords with rent controls and second homeowners with extra tax...' is the answer to these questions.

How do you make it ATTRACTIVE for any landlord to house long-term tenants. How do you make it MORE ATTRACTIVE than furnished holiday lets. How would you make it ATTRACTIVE for landlords to buy up some of those houses coming onto the market in Wales and let them to long-term tenants.

Surged 14% back fired.

Many of my rents in Scotland were under £500 . So less than £50 a month. 10% on a £500 a month rent that had not been raised in ten years.

Time for shelter generation rent acorn tenants union Scottish government to stop misleading the public.

Very misleading figures by the Scottish government.