Category: Legislation

Proposals for Change to Landlord Registration

A consultation regarding changes to the landlord registration scheme was announced last month by the Scottish Government. Landlord registration became compulsory in 2004 with the aim to improve standards in the private rented sector in Scotland. Kevin Stewart, Housing Minister for Scotland, explained that the current system needs to be more vigorous to ensure landlords …

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Pet Proposals from Labour – Worthy of Appaws?

Labour recently announced 50 pledges surrounding animal welfare, which include tenants being able to keep their pets in rental homes regardless of the landlord’s opinion. Would Scotland follow suit? Labour promised tenants that it would do more to ensure that they would not have to give up their pets when they move rental homes. Labour …

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Do State Benefits Equate to Second Class Citizens in Renting?

That’s how a single mum, Rosie Keogh, felt when a letting agency rejected her application because she was on state benefit. Rosie had been living in the same property for 11 years and paying her rent in full each month, before she applied for a property in Kings Heath in Birmingham. As a housing benefit …

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Standard Fire Safety Rules For All Properties

Amendments to a 30 year old Scottish law will see significant changes to the fire and smoke alarm regulations that will benefit everyone, regardless of tenure. The existing standards for fire and smoke alarms in Scotland are already high in the private rented sector and now they are going to be extended to all homes …

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Changing Times – Universal Credit

The start of 2018 heralds some new changes again for Universal Credit in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland, yet in different ways for the separate countries. Universal Credit was introduced by former Conservative Leader, Iain Duncan Smith. He created it with the aim to help make the system simpler by introducing one single payment to …

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New Tenancy Agreement Website

The Scottish Government has launched a website to help landlords comply with the new legislation coming into force on December 1st. This new online tool will enable landlords to easily create private tenancy agreements. Launch day The website was officially launched by Kevin Stewart MSP, minister for local government and housing on 14th November at …

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