The rent freeze and accompanying evictions ban was introduced by the Scottish Government in September 2022 under emergency legislation as a measure to help to tackle the cost of living crisis. In effect, the rent freeze was a cap set at 0% for both the social and private rental sectors. From April 1st 2023, the …
Read more >Lets Talk’s 70th episode features Steven Cafferty of Deaf Action talk about the challenges and barriers that hard of hearing and deaf people face when applying for a property, attending viewings and then living in the property itself. Steven, who lost his hearing through meningitis at the age of one, informs the listeners about the …
Read more >Many tenement buildings have chimneys, and repairs are rarely the sole responsibility of one flat owner. Knowing who is responsible for the chimneys in a tenement building is essential when dealing with this type of repair. Most chimneys on tenement buildings carry the smoke and fumes from several fireplaces in neighbouring properties. Even if the …
Read more >In Scotland, Private Residential Tenancy (PRT) agreements replaced assured and short-assured tenancies from December 2017. These agreements outline various obligations between tenants and landlords, including optional clauses added by the landlord. This informational guide will help you understand what a PRT is and when you should expect to receive a copy and its contents. Defining …
Read more >Modification to Damages for Unlawful Eviction Introduced by COLA Landlords will likely be aware that the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 (COLA 2022) introduced an eviction moratorium. Perhaps less publicised was the introduction of a new method of calculation of the level of damages which can be awarded against a landlord who …
Read more >Tenants, not buildings, need to be at the centre of the housing debate in Scotland. Too often discussions revolve around figures – number of homes, number of sites, financial statistics and sometimes meaningless targets and key performance indicators (KPI). The only KPI for those in the sector ultimately worth achieving should be the safety, happiness …
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