Tenant farmers welcome '˜positive step' on rent reviews

The Scottish Tenant Farmers Association (STFA) yesterday welcomed an initiative by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors and the interim farm tenancy adviser, Andrew Thin, aimed at monitoring the conduct of professional agents during rent reviews.

STFA chairman Christopher Nicholson said some disputes had already been resolved. Picture: Contributed

This issue has been a bone of contention between tenants and landlords’ agents for years and tension between the two parties rises in the run-up to the November term.

STFA chairman Christopher Nicholson said: “For some time now STFA has been convinced that the behaviour of some professional agents has been the root cause of the poor relationships between landlords and tenants.”

He added that, in general terms, the situation was worse where an outside firm of land agents had been contracted in to conduct rent reviews.

He was optimistic that those days were now in the past following the problems being highlighted in Parliament during the passage of the land reform act and through Thin taking positive action.

“It is heartening to observe that the warnings issued by the parliament already seem to have been taken on board by professional agents on all sides and the advent of the interim adviser on tenant farming has helped to resolve some potential disputes,” he said.

“STFA would, however, like to see this initiative rolled out to encompass other business dealings between landlords and tenants, such as the proposed amnesty for improvements which may well lead towards areas of disagreement and dispute.”

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