How one Scottish landlord tried to raise rents by almost 200 per cent amid huge 'cliff edge' increases

SNP ministers have been accused of having “left tenants dealing with a cliff edge of rent increases” as new statistics reveal renters have been left with soaring costs after temporary controls came to an end.

Temporary rent caps to protect tenants from soaring housing costs by limiting rises in most instances to 3 per cent came to an end in April. Since then, the Scottish Government has allowed private landlords to increase rent by up to 12 per cent “in exceptional circumstances”. 

READ MORE: Why SNP rent control plans would add £5.5m 'burden' amid savage cuts and halt house building

Tenants have the right to appeal proposed rises, with new figures showing that on average, rents contested by tenants in Scotland jumped by 20 per cent following the end of the temporary legislation. One landlord even attempted to raise rents by a staggering 186 per cent.

The data was gathered as part of applications to Rent Service Scotland for adjudication and shared with Scottish Labour in response to a Freedom of Information request.

The same data reveals a 399 per cent increase in applications following the end of the rent control cap – with Labour suggesting the rent controls have merely delayed rather than prevented soaring rents in Scotland.

Recent data from the Zoopla Rental Market Report found that across Scotland, rent increased by nearly 10 per cent over the past 12 months - higher than anywhere else except North East England, with Edinburgh seeing the second highest rent rises of any city except Newcastle.

The average rent in Edinburgh is now £1,268 per calendar month. 

Mark Griffin, Scottish Labour’s spokesperson for housing, said: “Sadly these figures show that rather than fixing the roof with the rent freeze, the SNP just put out a bucket to catch the drips.

“Delaying a problem is not the same as solving it. The SNP’s inability to come up with a viable alternative to rent controls in time have left tenants dealing with a cliff edge of rent increases when emergency legislation ended. 

“Rather than prioritising the Housing Bill so MSPs could work together on a sustainable plan, the SNP has slashed the affordable housing budget and let house building crumble on its watch.

“Because there is nowhere else for them to go, working families, young people and those on the lowest incomes stuck in the private rental sector are forced to find the money for soaring housing costs.

“This SNP Government must prioritise ending the housing emergency by developing joined-up policy so that everyone has a place to call home.”

The Scottish Government’s proposed Housing Bill, making its way through Holyrood, would hand ministers the power to introduce rent control areas and place limits on rent increases.

SNP housing minister Paul McLennan said: “The rent cap provided protection for tenants within existing tenancies. While the rent cap came to an end on March 31, our temporary changes to the way rents are decided, if a tenant seeks a review, protect people from very steep in-tenancy rises.

“The Rent Service Scotland figures show it is important that this extra protection is in place and I welcome that tenants are making use of it.

“Our Housing Bill, currently being considered by Parliament, sets out proposals for long-term rent controls seeking to stabilise rent for both existing and new tenants.”