Meeting of the Parliament 03 December 2014
We have to be careful of using inappropriate statistics. We have already heard one set of statistics balanced with the Government’s statistics in the two opening speeches.
A recent poll, far from showing that tenants in the Scottish private sector are concerned about escalating rent levels, found that 86 per cent of tenants who were surveyed had never received a request for a rent increase during their lease, and 90 per cent had never experienced a rent rise that was deemed to be unreasonable. In addition, 91 per cent of tenants thought that the frequency of rent reviews on their property had been reasonable.
Those statistics demonstrate that, unlike the Labour Party claimed at the start of the debate, the system is not broken. If we address the issues correctly, we can continue to rely on the private rented sector to make its contribution to the housing problems that we face in Scotland today.
I recently met representatives—I have met a lot of representatives—of the private rented sector, all of whom are open to working in a constructive manner with the Scottish Government to improve the industry. They are ready to engage, but they are also deeply concerned about the impact that some of the proposals might have.
The private rented sector is playing an increasingly important role in accommodating home seekers at a time when the private sector is picking up the slack from the lack of investment in affordable housing by both the current Government and its predecessors. For that reason, it is essential that we take a constructive, engaged and measured approach that does not have the negative impact on the private rented sector that all of us would regret should it happen.
I move amendment S4M-11763.1, to leave out from “; notes with concern” to end and insert:
“and that the demand for private rented properties is expected to continue to grow, which is why private landlords are a vital part of the Scottish housing sector and should be given the flexibility and support necessary from the Scottish Government to flourish in Scotland; notes the Scottish Government’s proposals for a complete reform of the current tenancy regime and considers that many of the proposals are welcome and will improve the private rented sector in Scotland; is concerned, however, that some of the provisions are very inflexible and will act as a disincentive for landlords, and is opposed to the introduction of rent caps as international and historic evidence indicates that this will have a catastrophic impact on the available rented housing stock.”
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