A new private rented sector lobbying group hopes to convince the Scottish government to temper its plans for permanent rent controls under the Housing (Scotland) Bill.

More Homes More Quickly says a balanced approach is essential - one that includes predictable, index-linked rent adjustments and targeted incentives for new developments. It believes that athough rent controls can play a role in ensuring housing affordability, their implementation requires careful consideration to avoid unintended consequences.

The Bill introduces measures aimed at protecting tenants, yet without thoughtful adjustments, they risk discouraging the investment needed to increase housing supply, according to the group. It includes John Blackwood (pictured), of the Scottish Association of Landlords, Propertymark’s Timothy Douglas, David Melhuish, director of the Scottish Property Federation, and Anna Gardiner, of Scottish Land and Estates.

Other founder members are Brendan Geraghty, chief executive of the Association for Rental Living, Cedric Bucher of Hearthstone Investments, John Boyle, director at Rettie, and the group’s director Robin Blacklock, MD of real estate consultancy Dowbrae.

Rent controls

According to The Herald, More Homes More Quickly has written to Housing Minister Paul McLennan (pictured) putting forward alternative rent control options, arguing that while the Scottish government’s assessment identifies reducing supply as a risk, it doesn’t provide concrete proposals for mitigating this risk.

It adds: “It is crucial to recognise that reducing the supply and quality of private rented stock and potential spillover effects to non-controlled areas (for example, higher market rents) must be minimised.

Uplifts

“We need to ensure that this current legislation does not exacerbate an already increasing problem, and in this respect, there are potentially workable approaches to rent control such as annual inflation-linked uplifts, subject to a reasonable cap, to endure for an overall maximum duration.”

McLennan told The Herald: “A fairer, well-managed private rented sector is in the interest of both tenants and responsible landlords.”