FAQs: Housing (Scotland) Bill

The Scottish Government is rolling the Housing (Scotland) Bill through the Scottish Parliament which will introduce new permanent rent control and adjudication regulations. However, between 31 March 2025 and the enactment of the Bill, there will be a period when rent assessments revert to pre-Cost of Living Act terms.

Timothy Douglas, Head of Policy and Campaigns at Propertymark, provided evidence on the Housing (Scotland) Bill to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee of the Scottish Government on 28 January 2025, highlighting significant concerns from our members and stressing the proposed measures fail to address the critical housing supply challenges.

The Bill passed Stage 1 in the Scottish Parliament on 28 November 2024. During the debate, a spokesperson for the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, criticised the Scottish Government for failure to come to parliament with fully developed legislation, whilst the Scottish Conservatives refused to support it due to the detrimental impact on housing investment. Propertymark continues to vigorously campaign for urgent action to amend the Bill with measures to increase housing supply and balance the market to ensure fairer outcomes for tenants, landlords, and the wider housing sector.

The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee has published its Stage 1 Report on the general principles of the Housing (Scotland) Bill. Propertymark gave evidence to the Committee in June 2024, and it is pleasing to see our commentary and suggestions to amend the Bill referenced throughout the report.