Renters’ Rights – we’re supporting the new awareness campaign

Renters’ Rights – we’re supporting the new awareness campaign

Renters’ Rights is a new initiative for 2022 from the Scottish Government, highlighting how private tenants can access support and advice – and we’re onboard!

The Renters’ Rights campaign sees operators in the private rental sector working in partnership with the Scottish Government, and aims to help tenants to know their rental rights. Scots law protects everyone who rents privately in Scotland and central to the campaign is a new website, offering private tenants all they need to know, in one place.

Everyone deserves safe, secure, and good quality housing. Ensuring that both landlords and tenants know and understand renters’ rights is a vital step towards building and maintaining positive and trusting relationships. For us at At Home In Edinburgh, these relationships are at the heart of our business.

Renters’ Rights

The gov.scot/rentersrights website highlights private tenants’ key rights – which are all legal requirements for their landlords:

Landlord registration

Landlords and letting agents must be registered to let out property to comply with the law. Tenants should check before they rent, and only use a registered landlord and letting agent. They should report any that aren’t registered.

Rent increases

If a tenancy began on or after 1 December 2017, landlords must give three months’ notice of any rent increase. Landlords can only increase rent once every 12 months. Tenants have the right to challenge an unfair rent increase through a Rent Officer.

Repairs and maintenance

Landlords are responsible for the repair and maintenance of their property from the tenancy start date and throughout the tenancy. They are also required to give tenants prior notice ahead of any maintenance or property inspections. Landlords are not allowed to enter the property unannounced.

Illegal eviction

Private tenants cannot be asked to leave their rented property with no notice. Landlords must go through the legal process to end a tenancy. Illegal eviction is a criminal offence and can take a number of forms. These include intimidation and harassment, lock changes or not following legal procedures and notice periods.

Coronavirus

Temporary laws are in place to protect tenants during the Coronavirus pandemic, although some of these will finish at the end of March 2022. There is a range of support to help those affected.

Additional Renters’ Rights

The website includes links to the mygov.scot website, where tenants can keep up to date with all their rights.

Landlords – make sure you know renters’ rights

Ensuring that all private landlords understand their legal obligations is as important as educating tenants. These legal requirements can be complex. For example, if a landlord wants to end a private residential tenancy, just getting the notice period or procedure for eviction wrong could result in committing a criminal offence.

We’re here to help

Our team are experts in private rentals, with over 25 years’ experience working with tenants and landlords. We are an approved agent on the Scottish Letting Agent Register and therefore committed to complying with a statutory Letting Agent Code of Practice. In addition, our staff must also hold the relevant qualifications and follow current best practice.

This all ensures peace of mind for tenants renting out properties that we manage, along with assurance for their landlords that all legal requirements are adhered to.

Please speak to us if you have any concerns or queries – email us at [email protected], call us on 0131 229 4001, or pop in to see us at 39 Warrender Park Road, Marchmont, Edinburgh, EH9 1EU. We also have a simple online guide for any landlords considering transferring to a lettings agent.