Meeting of the Parliament 23 September 2025 [Draft]
I am pleased to begin our stage 3 consideration of the Housing (Scotland) Bill with group 1. Amendment 105, in the name of Pam Duncan-Glancy, seeks to provide for tenants in student residential tenancies to be able to give notice to quit their tenancy in specified circumstances to be laid out in regulation. Amendment 372, in the name of Ross Greer, also seeks to provide for tenants to be able to quit their student residential tenancy, but with the category of tenant to be specified by regulations.
I agree that there will be very good reasons for students to seek to give notice to leave their tenancies, but I am also aware that allowing that in all circumstances could have a significant impact on the management of, investment in and supply of student accommodation in Scotland. Specifying the circumstances in which a student may end their tenancy, as we would under amendment 105, would ensure that that could occur only where it was appropriate for them to do so.
Vacancies in purpose-built student accommodation can be filled only by students, and that is difficult in the middle of the academic year. Enabling the termination of all student residential tenancies mid-year could have a substantial impact on the operation of student accommodation, with potential risks of higher costs and a worsening in affordability. We can imagine how the situation could quickly become completely unmanageable.
Although amendment 372 and its consequential amendment 388 also provide for students to end their tenancy, they do not provide for specific circumstances; rather, they would allow ministers to specify the category of tenant.