Scottish tenants need to know their rights

dailyrecord.co.uk:

IF you rent your home from a private landlord or letting agent make sure you know your rights.This is the message from the Scottish Government following research that shows many private tenants are unaware of the rights that protect them.Across Scotland there are 340,000 households in the private rented sector – 14 per cent of Scottish households - who are renting their homes from a private landlord or letting agent.But many are unaware about what current tenancy is, or their tenancy rights.There are two main types of tenancy in Scotland:A Private Residential Tenancy – is open-ended and will last until you wish to leave the let property or the landlord uses grounds for eviction. A Short Assured Tenancy – is for a fixed period but automatically renews when it runs out.

The Scottish Government is participating in RentBetter, a three-year research programme carried out by Indigo House on private renting in Scotland.

Almost 1000 private tenants were interviewed and in its first wave of findings, it was revealed that almost one quarter of Scots who rent would not confidently challenge their landlord about concerns.Most tenants feel secure in their home, regardless of the type of their tenancy or their knowledge of rights.

The most important aspects of security from tenants’ perspectives are affordability, trust in the landlord and secure employment.Although many tenants were positive about their experience of renting some tenants reported problems.• Families were more likely to have had issues with repairs needing done – making up 39% of those who have had recent problems getting repairs done. • Single non-pensioners were a third of those who had recent problems with a landlord or letting agent turning up at the property