PATRICK HARVIE MSP URGES RENT CONTROLS TO PROTECT TENANTS
In today's Scottish Parliament debate on housing, Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, will urge the Scottish Government to consider rent controls as a way of protecting the growing number of private sector tenants.
Mr Harvie said:
"While I welcome the introduction of the Housing Bill to parliament, I believe we should be looking for opportunities to add greater protection for tenants. We should find ways to improve security of tenure, control rent costs and improve the quality of housing on offer. We should also seek to improve the energy efficiency of properties given the importance of heating bills."
"I welcome proposals for the regulation of letting agents but I believe more needs to be done to properly respond to the dramatic growth in the private rented sector in recent years. Though the private rented sector is a free choice for some, far too many others have no realistic choice but to rent from a private landlord. The government must certainly address the serious lack of social rented housing, but prices in the private sector can't be ignored."