Shelter Scotland urges Nicola Sturgeon to end tenant fears over rent freeze plans

Housing and homelessness charity Shelter Scotland is urging the First Minister to provide clarity for tenants on her plan to freeze rents for private and social tenants.

Since Nicola Sturgeon announced her intention to freeze rents in both the private and social rented sectors the Scottish Government has failed to provide any detail about how it will work in practice.

The charity reports that it has been inundated by calls from tenants confused about what the announcement means and seeking clarity about the practical impact on their lives. Housing advisers say they cannot answer questions from tenants who have already received a rent increase notice before or after the announcement on 6th September and say that the ongoing silence is creating real concern for people at risk of homelessness.

Today’s call for clarity comes almost three weeks after the charity wrote to the First Minister, outlining its recommendations to tackle the housing emergency with a Housing Emergency Action Plan, focused around three key priorities: buy and build 38,500 social homes by 2026, fully fund local authority homelessness services and guarantee the right to a permanent home for every homeless household.

Our Director, Alison Watson, said:

“At a time when families are worried about keeping their home, the uncertainty around the rent freeze proposals is a worry people can do without. Tenants are worried and don’t know their rights. The people in Scotland who need help with housing and homelessness can’t wait weeks for clarification on a six-month plan – time is running out. Making these promises and not setting out how they will work has caused panic when there is already a cost-of-living crisis having an impact on people.

“A rent-freeze may help prevent more people from becoming homeless, but it won’t help the tens of thousands of people across the country who are already homeless. Helping them will require the kind of long term, systemic, change proposed in our Housing Emergency Action Plan.

“We have said time and time again that the people in Scotland who are at the sharp end of the homelessness system cannot wait a second longer for action to be taken. We need to understand how this legislation will work for those suffering from uncertainty. The need for emergency action cannot be ignored.”