Regulation of letting agents in Scotland is
set to increase - but the Scottish government has promised that
landlords and agents will be consulted as the new level of
regulation is implemented.
A new paper lays out the Scottish Parliament's plan for the
private lettings sector. The paper's release was accompanied by a
conciliatory statement from the Government, saying that the state
"does not have a monopoly on good ideas. In order to deliver on the
vision for the sector, we will engage with all of our partners on
their innovative ideas."
This may provide some level of hope for agents that their
interests will not simply be steamrollered over as the Scottish
rental sector follows the recent trend for increased regulation of
private rentals. The paper follows recent rule changes in Scotland
including mandatory deposit protection for tenants, and the
criminalisation of agent's fees other than rent and deposit
payments, such as "admin fees".
The new developments recognise the growth of the private
rental sector in the country: in 2011, 11% of households in
Scotland were private lets, and this figure is expected to grow
further.
Response to new regulation for Scottish letting
agents
Ian Potter, the managing director of the Association of
Residential Letting Agents, gave a positive reaction to the
recent developments, saying on behalf of ARLA that "we welcome the
proposals."
"We look forward to working with the
Scottish Government on furthering these actions, to ensure tenants
and landlords are better protected.
"ARLA has been calling for regulation
of the sector across the UK for a number of years and, as more and
more people rent rather than own their home, it is vital that
legislation is introduced."
CKD Galbraith also responded positively to the Scottish
Government's paper on rental reform.
