GOVERNMENT NOT ON TOP OF TENANTS' ISSUE
Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow and housing spokesperson for the Scottish Greens, is criticising the Scottish Government after ministers admitted that they do not know how many landlords are complying with schemes designed to protect tenants' deposits.
Last summer when the schemes came into force it was estimated that only half of the 291,000 potential deposits had been transferred. Glasgow has 56,000 households in the private rented sector - a fifth of all those in Scotland.
Mr Harvie, who recently launched a campaign website RentRights.org, said:
"It's disappointing that several months on from the warnings that were given, it appears the Scottish Government is not on top of the situation. Ministers should be able to gauge the level of compliance if they're serious about protecting private sector tenants from rogue landlords and dodgy letting agents.
"I've heard from many people who are being landed with unfair fees and charges - just deposits which have been renamed to get around the law. I will continue to scrutinise the Housing Bill currently before parliament to find ways to strengthen protection for those in the private rented sector."
Parliamentary debate on tenant deposit scheme last June led by Patrick Harvie
Question to ministers:
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of private tenancy deposits has been paid into a protected deposit scheme.
Answer from housing minister Margaret Burgess, 17 January:
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.