Private Landlords Can Make A Vital Difference

Private landlords have a key role to provide good quality affordable housing to tenants. That’s the message from leading housing and homelessness charity, Shelter Scotland, as the charity launched a new Private Renting Project recently. The Private Renting Project has been set up by Shelter to promote good practice in the private rented sector through working with tenants and landlords to raise awareness of their rights and responsibilities.

As well as working with landlords, the project will target certain groups that rent from the sector who may not be as aware of their rights and responsibilities such as students, older people and migrant workers.

The launch – which comes at a time of unprecedented change for the Scottish private rented sector  – saw leading landlord bodies and local authority staff gather to discuss the role of the private rented sector.

The event also looked at the benefits of voluntary landlord accreditation schemes and how they can help to make a private tenants housing experience a positive one.

Among the speakers were Archie Stoddart of Shelter Scotland and John Blackwood, Scottish Association of Landlords.

Archie Stoddart, Director of Shelter Scotland, said: “Tenants and landlords need to know their rights and responsibilities in order to raise the profile and effectiveness of renting privately, which is one of the main reasons the new project has been set up. This is a time of important change in the sector. The majority of landlords in the sector are doing a good job providing good quality, affordable housing but it is important that all private landlords raise the standard of their properties.”

John Blackwood, Scottish Association of Landlords, said: “This is an important time for the private rented sector – in particular, accreditation schemes are setting high standards for private landlords. Shelter’s Private Renting Project is an important initiative in ensuring that landlords and tenants work together to ensure good practice in private renting.”

Sarah-Jane Laing, Scottish Rural Property and Business Association, said: “We look forward to a close working relationship with Shelter Scotland’s Private Renting Project – landlord and tenants’ bodies working together can help raise conditions in private renting and make it a more attractive option.”

The private rented sector makes up eight per cent of the housing market in Scotland, with over 300,000 people living in rented accommodation.

A lack of affordable social housing and a steady increase in house prices has meant the private sector is playing a significant role in housing people in Scotland.

The private rented sector can also have an important part to play in Scotland meeting the Scottish Executive’s flagship homelessness policy.