Warm, dry ... and increasingly out of reach

 

A lesson from Scotland for locals here who like to bash landlords in the name of improving things for renters. 

It turns out that private rents in Glasgow are rocketing as landlords, sick of being bashed by the Scottish government's many laws making it harder to be a landlord ( in the name, it's said, of improving things for renters), are simply exiting the market. CityLets, a Glasgow residential letting agency, explained that "legislation was leading to many small landlords selling up." 

The results are, predictably, disastrous for renters. Colin Macmillan, from Glasgow Property Letting, said: 

Whilst the reality of the Scottish Government’s sanctions and actions are filtering through the private rented sector, many traditional landlords have had enough and are exiting the market.
    With an oversubscription of university places, we find ourselves in a perfect storm.
    Fewer properties available with unprecedented demand equals hyper-inflated rents.
    We also find ourselves in a cost of living crisis at probably the worst time of the year, with energy costs rising as the temperature is falling, and subsequent worries that rent arrears may increase also.”
    Those involved in the rented sector said private landlords have become a 'political football'.

One of the measures that would make the the disaster even worse was a rent freeze to come in from April. In what's called "a major u-turn," the Scottish government now propose to replace it with a "cap" on rent increases. Housing minister Patrick Harvey "said the government now accepted a rent freeze would hit landlords too hard." You think?

As Natalie Solent comments, 

Well, “disastrous” to “bad” is an improvement. But unless and until the Scottish government realises that both rent freezes and rent caps are very nice for tenants already in place but very bad for anyone trying to rent a house or flat from the day they are announced onwards, times will be hard for those seeking to rent in Scotland.

And the same for anywhere else they're threatened.