The Sheriff Appeal Court has recently upheld a decision that a landlord did not breach their duties under the Occupiers’ Liability (Scotland) Act 1960. The case involved a tenant, NM, who sought damages after her children fell into a hot bath sustaining injuries. NM held a short-assured tenancy from March 2017 to November 2018. In …
Read more >The Scottish Government has published yet another consultation, the seventh in just over eight years, on energy efficiency in the private rented sector (PRS). This time, draft regulations propose introducing a Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) that would require most PRS properties to meet an EPC equivalent of C in the coming years. What’s the …
Read more >The Equality Act came into force in October 2010, bringing several previous pieces of legislation addressing discrimination on the grounds of sex, race, sexual orientation and disability under one overall legislative framework. The Act also prohibited discrimination on several new grounds too, giving legal grounds for complaint on 9 protected characteristics: age disability gender reassignment …
Read more >Whilst the most recent developments on the legislative journey for the Housing Bill did not include changes that would require Scotland’s private rented sector to react within set timescales to reports of dampness and mould, it would be prudent for all landlords to review how they deal with reports of dampness and mould, as pressure …
Read more >On 3 April 2025, Alasdair Allan MSP, acting Minister for Climate Action, confirmed that a revised version of the Heat in Buildings Bill will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament later this year. The revised Bill will set a new statutory target for decarbonising heating systems by 2045, rather than a prohibition of polluting heating …
Read more >The Housing (Scotland) Bill, launched on 26 March 2024, is currently working its way through Parliament and is expected to reach stage two of the legislative process shortly. So, what does this mean for landlords? One of the most contentious changes is the proposal for rent controls. Under the Bill, local authorities will be required …
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