Graeme DeyGraeme Dey
  • News
    • Angus South
    • Holyrood
    • Westminster
    • Education
  • About
    • Graeme Dey MSP
    • GDPR
      • Privacy Policy
      • Child Data Protection
      • Cookies
  • Surgeries
    • Surgery Times
  • Issues
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Law & Order
    • Social Security
    • Transport
    • Devolved and Reserved Powers
  • Gallery
    • 2021 –
      • 2023
      • 2022
      • 2021
    • 2016 – 2020
      • 2020
      • 2019
      • 2018
      • 2017
      • 2016
    • 2011 – 2015
      • 2015
      • 2014
      • 2013
      • 2012
      • 2011
  • Videos
    • Members’ Business
    • Questions
      • First Minister’s Questions
      • General Questions
      • Portfolio Questions
      • Topical Questions
  • Contact
    • Contact Graeme
    • Consent Form
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
Thursday, September 28
Graeme DeyGraeme Dey
Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
  • News
    1. Angus South
    2. Holyrood
    3. Westminster
    4. Education
    5. View All

    Constituency Assistant to Graeme Dey MSP

    27th September 2023

    2-Child Benefit Cap Hits 1,330 Angus Children

    13th September 2023

    Giving a voice to people who use mental health services in Angus

    11th September 2023

    Graeme’s Column

    1st September 2023

    Victim Surcharge Fund Opens

    27th September 2023

    £2.4m Support for Angus Families

    26th September 2023

    Agreement powering onshore wind development

    24th September 2023

    Scottish Parliament approves final extension of tenant protections

    21st September 2023

    SNP Slams PM for Net Zero U-Turns

    22nd September 2023

    Where Westminster fails, Scotland can succeed

    24th August 2023

    UK Lagging Behind European Neighbours

    18th August 2023

    Labour rows back on Workers’ Rights

    18th August 2023

    New Scottish Education Exchange Programme

    11th September 2023

    Record number of young Scots in education, training or employment

    30th August 2023

    Visit to Forth Valley College

    22nd August 2023

    Results Day 2023

    8th August 2023

    Victim Surcharge Fund Opens

    27th September 2023

    Constituency Assistant to Graeme Dey MSP

    27th September 2023

    £2.4m Support for Angus Families

    26th September 2023

    Agreement powering onshore wind development

    24th September 2023
  • About
    • Graeme Dey MSP
    • GDPR
      • Privacy Policy
      • Child Data Protection
      • Cookies
  • Surgeries
    • Surgery Times
  • Issues
    • Education
    • Environment
    • Health
    • Housing
    • Law & Order
    • Social Security
    • Transport
    • Devolved and Reserved Powers
  • Gallery
    • 2021 –
      • 2023
      • 2022
      • 2021
    • 2016 – 2020
      • 2020
      • 2019
      • 2018
      • 2017
      • 2016
    • 2011 – 2015
      • 2015
      • 2014
      • 2013
      • 2012
      • 2011
  • Videos
    • Members’ Business
    • Questions
      • First Minister’s Questions
      • General Questions
      • Portfolio Questions
      • Topical Questions
  • Contact
    • Contact Graeme
    • Consent Form
Graeme DeyGraeme Dey
You are at:Home»Holyrood»Protections for Tenants Extended

Protections for Tenants Extended

JamieBy Jamie20th January 20231 Views4 Mins Read Holyrood
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp

Minister Confirms Intention to Cap Rents at 3%

Emergency measures to protect tenants will be extended, Tenants Rights’ Minister Patrick Harvie has confirmed, with private rents capped and enforcement of evictions prevented in most cases.

Subject to the approval of Parliament, changes to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) Act will mean that from 1 April 2023:

  • If landlords choose to increase private rents they will be capped at 3%
  • The safeguard for private landlords will be amended, allowing them to apply for increases of up to 6% to help cover certain increases in costs in defined and limited circumstances
  • Enforcement of evictions will continue to be prevented for all tenants except in a number of specified circumstances
  • Increased damages for unlawful evictions of up to 36 months’ worth of rent will continue to be applicable
  • The rent cap for student accommodation will be suspended, recognising its limited impact on annual rents set on the basis of an academic year

These temporary measures are intended to be extended to 30th September, provided they remain necessary, with the option to extend for another six-month period if required.

As announced in December 2022, the social sector rent freeze is being replaced with agreements from landlords to keep any rent increase for 2023-24 well below inflation.

– Graeme 

I welcome this extension of protection for renters here in Angus and across Scotland during the ongoing cost of living crisis.

It strikes a considered balance in acknowledging increased costs facing landlords too, but caps rents to avoid instances of tenants being faced with unaffordable rises.

This remains emergency legislation, the impact of which will be continually assessed.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting, with the powers available to it, all those struggling to make ends meet just now.

Rent rises to be capped and eviction ban to remain https://t.co/hTqoCFAuTo

— BBC Scotland News (@BBCScotlandNews) January 19, 2023

– Tenants Rights’ Minister, Patrick Harvie

Our emergency legislation has helped protect tenants facing the cost of living crisis. With many households still struggling with bills, it is clear that these protections are still needed to give tenants greater confidence about their housing costs and the security of a stable home.

While the primary purpose of the legislation is to support tenants, I recognise that costs have been rising for landlords too. That’s why we intend to allow those in the private sector to increase rents by up to 3%, with a continued safeguard allowing them to apply for larger increases to cover specified rising costs they might be seeing as landlords. By allowing increases in rent – capped well below inflation and limited to once per 12 months – we can continue protecting tenants from the minority of landlords who would impose unaffordable rent hikes.

We will continue to carefully monitor the impacts of this legislation, working with tenants and landlords to protect them from this costs crisis.

Background

The evictions moratorium prevents enforcement of eviction actions resulting from the cost of living crisis except in a number of specified circumstances.

Landlords can apply to Rent Service Scotland (RSS) to increase rent to partially cover specific costs. These include increased mortgage interest payments on the property they are letting, an increase in landlords’ insurance or increases in service charges paid as part of a tenancy – subject to an overall limit. This limit is currently set at 3% of total rent. From 1 April it will be increased to 6%. In effect, this retains the status quo of allowable rent rises of 3% above the cap. As set out in the first report on the Act to the Scottish Parliament, at 31st December 2022 RSS had received only 12 applications of this nature, of which 10 were valid.

Under the agreement on social rents for 2023-24, COSLA has committed to keeping local authority rent increases to an average of no more than £5 a week. Members of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and Glasgow West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations have reported planned increases averaging 6.1%.

Cost-of-living Crisis housing protecting tenants rent caps
Previous ArticlePromoting Low Carbon Farming and Protecting the Environment
Next Article No One Should Be Forced Onto Pre-Payment Meter
Jamie
  • Website

I’m Graeme’s Parliamentary Assistant based at Holyrood, but I support his constituency work as well. Having been Caseworker to an Aberdeenshire MP some years prior, joining Graeme's team in 2019 was a return to this line of work from a role in fundraising.

Related Posts

Victim Surcharge Fund Opens

27th September 2023

£2.4m Support for Angus Families

26th September 2023

Agreement powering onshore wind development

24th September 2023
Stay In Touch
  • Facebook 2.7K
  • Twitter 1.5K
  • Instagram 560
  • YouTube 101
latest news

Victim Surcharge Fund Opens

Constituency Assistant to Graeme Dey MSP

£2.4m Support for Angus Families

Agreement powering onshore wind development

About
About

Graeme Dey is the the Member of the Scottish Parliament for Angus South Constituency.

Having worked for The Courier newspaper for 26 years, Graeme was elected to Holyrood in 2011.

In March 2023, Graeme was chosen by First Minister Humza Yousaf to be Minister for Higher and Further Education; and Minister for Veterans.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
Latest Posts

Victim Surcharge Fund Opens

Constituency Assistant to Graeme Dey MSP

£2.4m Support for Angus Families

Agreement powering onshore wind development

Flickr Photos
Ayrshire College
Poverty Alliance
Ayrshire College
Aberdeen University
Forth Valley College Falkirk campus
SRUC
Agricarbon 2
Agricarbon 1
Tayside Council on Alcohol
Richmond Fellowship
HOPE Organic Garden 2
Active Schools Angus 1
Star Rock Shop 3
Barry Mill 1
Peel Farm 2
White Ribbon Campaign
© 2023 Graeme Dey MSP. No parliamentary funds have been used to create and maintain this website.

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

Go to mobile version