Homes must be for living in, not for profiteering.
Yet in Scotland we've seen rents increase drastically over the last decade. From 2022 to 2023 alone the rent for the average one bedroom flat in Glasgow increased by an eye-watering 27%!
That's why earlier this year legislation was introduced by then Scottish Greens minister Patrick Harvie to finally bring rent controls to Scotland, which would help keep costs down for tenants.
It's an idea supported by 82% of people in Scotland, and follows a long list of countries across Europe and the world that have already implemented them, from Ireland to France to Germany to Sweden.
The Scottish Government supported this legislation in March, but in October Housing Minister Paul McLennan announced that the Scottish Government were planning to water it down, backtracking on their commitment and bowing to landlord lobbyists.
They’re now proposing a rent ‘cap’ which would usually allow rents to rise faster than inflation, undermining the purpose of rent controls to make housing more affordable and rendering them not fit for purpose.
That's not acceptable. Everyone deserves a safe, warm home that gives them peace of mind and security. A robust, national system of rent controls must be implemented before the 2026 election in a way that controls and brings down the cost of living in the private rented sector.
Join us in calling on the Scottish Government and housing minister Paul McLennan to honour their commitment to introduce a robust, national system of rent controls, and scrap the proposal for an above inflation cap.