Committee
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee 17 February 2026 [Draft]
17 Feb 2026 · S6 · Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
Item of business
Subordinate Legislation
Council Tax (Variation for Unoccupied Dwellings) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2026 [Draft]
The area that I was going to ask about has been mainly covered by Willie Coffey. Rather than simply asking a question for the sake it, I will pass back to you, convener.
In the same item of business
09:30
The Convener
Green
The next item on our agenda is to take evidence on three draft affirmative instruments: the draft Private Housing Rent Control (Exempt Property) (Scotland) R...
Anna Gardiner (Scottish Land & Estates)
In short, yes. It is fair to say that Scottish Land & Estates welcomes the exemptions for both build to rent and mid-market rent and very much recognises tha...
Gillian McLees (Chartered Institute of Housing Scotland)
The CIH welcomes the exemptions for mid-market rent and build to rent. Along with others, we fought for those exemptions to be introduced for investors in or...
The Convener
Green
Great. Tom, what is your view? We cannot hear you. Hang on for a minute. Your microphone is on, so the problem may be at your end. Can you try again? It is s...
Gillian McLees
For landlords and tenants, anything that can guarantee new home delivery is positive. The regulations will allow landlords to have money to invest in their p...
The Convener
Green
Do you have anything to add, Anna?
Anna Gardiner
I am concerned for tenants because of the potential impact on the supply of new rural properties, which will make it harder for tenants to find homes in the ...
The Convener
Green
The regulations include definitions of mid-market rent and build-to-rent housing. Are you content with the detail of those definitions?
Gillian McLees
The Government worked closely with the sector to create those definitions, and the work of the housing task force is reflected in the definitions as published.
Anna Gardiner
I raised an issue with the definitions during the stakeholder engagement. It was felt that the rural schemes will be okay because of the MMR exemption, but t...
The Convener
Green
Have you raised that with the Government?
Anna Gardiner
We have raised our concerns about the conditionality of certain aspects of the rural and islands housing fund. There must be some sort of commitment to the G...
The Convener
Green
It is connected.We do not have Tom Ockenden’s audio connected yet. We will have a brief suspension, during which we will try to get him back.09:40Meeting sus...
The Convener
Green
We have Tom Ockendon back online, which is great.Tom, I will ask you the three questions that you might have heard me put to Anna Gardiner and Gillian McLees...
Tom Ockendon (Scottish Federation of Housing Associations)
Thank you for your patience with the audio issues.We agree with the principle behind the regulations. The regulations acknowledge that MMR properties are alr...
The Convener
Green
It was about the impact of the regulations on tenants and landlords, which you touched on in relation to MMR being important for people who are looking for t...
Tom Ockendon
The regulations strike a good balance between the landlord and the tenant. Tenants are already protected from steep rent increases through the affordability ...
The Convener
Green
You focused primarily on MMRs. Out of curiosity, is that because housing associations are not involved in build to rent?
Tom Ockendon
That is right.
The Convener
Green
We now move to questions about the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026, otherwise known as Awaab’s law. There will be questi...
Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab)
Lab
As the convener said, my questions are about the regulations that are better known as Awaab’s law. Do the witnesses agree that the broad approach taken in th...
Gillian Campbell (Existing Homes Alliance Scotland)
The Existing Homes Alliance Scotland very much welcomes the introduction of the regulations as a means of delivering better outcomes for Scotland’s tenants. ...
Anna Gardiner
We very much support the principle of Awaab’s law, but the concern that we have about the balance between tenants’ and landlords’ interests relates more to t...
The Convener
Green
It sounds like we also need to encourage more small and medium-sized enterprises and rural construction companies to address the issues that will be coming f...
Tom Ockendon
SFHA members were supportive of the introduction of Awaab’s law and measures to deliver better outcomes for tenants. We supported that through work in relati...
The Convener
Green
Thank you very much.Gillian McLees, do you want to come in on this?
Gillian McLees
I do not have much to add. I concur with everything that has been said so far, so I will not necessarily repeat it. We officially support the Government’s ap...
The Convener
Green
Thanks very much for that.Mark, some of your other questions may have been touched on, but do you want to come back in?
Mark Griffin
Lab
Yes. I was going to come back on the issue of temporary accommodation that Gillian McLees has just raised. It is good to hear witnesses say that they are bro...