CALLS for an immediate rent freeze in Scotland have hit a key milestone after more than 1000 people backed a campaign urging the Scottish Government to intervene over rising housing costs.
Tenants’ union Living Rent has been campaigning for a temporary freeze since mid-June, with members gathering support online as well as door-knocking and holding street stalls across Glasgow, Edinburgh and Dundee.
The petition has now passed its initial target of 1000 signatures, with over 1200 people signing so far.
The milestone will see the campaign begin to ramp up ahead of the Scottish Parliament returning from summer recess, when Living Rent plans to take its demands to the Scottish Government.
The campaign group wants an immediate 0% rent freeze to remain in place until councils are able to introduce permanent rent controls.
Living Rent spokesperson Lily Gordon-Brown told The National: “Any government that is serious about tackling the cost of living cannot ignore the skyrocketing cost of rent.
“Across Scotland, tenants are existing in a state of purgatory. The rent cap was lifted over a year ago, but local authorities won't be able to introduce permanent rent controls until 2028.
“In that time, nothing will stop landlords from exploiting this and making huge profits while the rest of us struggle to make ends meet.”
Previous rent freeze
The campaign comes four years after Living Rent's success in pushing for emergency protections for tenants during the cost-of-living crisis.
In October 2022, the Scottish Government passed an emergency freeze on most private and social rents alongside a moratorium on evictions as households faced soaring energy bills and inflation.
The measures were introduced through emergency legislation and the rent freeze was later replaced by temporary restrictions on rent increases.
Living Rent is now arguing that similar intervention is needed to bridge the gap until the new system of permanent rent controls comes into effect.
Gordon-Brown said: “Four years ago, when the cost of living hit hard, Scotland introduced a rent freeze.
“Now, with the cost of living about to get far worse because of the war in Iran, this government must step up and ensure that tenants can remain in their homes and communities.”
What is Living Rent calling for?
The Housing (Scotland) Act passed last autumn created a new system under which councils will assess rents in their areas and can ask ministers to designate rent control areas.
Within those areas, rent increases will be limited, with the cap set at inflation plus 1%, up to a maximum increase of 6%.
Living Rent argues the new system won’t begin to have an impact for tenants until 2028, creating a window in which landlords could substantially increase rents before controls take effect.
The union is calling for a 0% cap on rents until local authorities can introduce rent control areas, with the freeze applying between tenancies as well as to sitting tenants.
It also wants an eviction ban to prevent landlords removing tenants in order to raise rents, alongside penalties for landlords who break the rules.
Gordon-Brown told The National: “Rising rents are forcing people out of their homes, away from their loved ones, support systems and places of work.
“The government must learn from loopholes in the previous rent freeze.
“Any rent freeze must apply to all tenures and between tenancies, to ensure landlords are not incentivised to evict tenants to increase rents.”
Living Rent also criticised Prime Minister Andy Burnham after he ruled out introducing rent controls or a temporary rent freeze across England and Wales during his first week in office.
Gordon-Brown said: “Disappointingly, Andy Burnham spent his first week in office ruling out much-needed rent controls, and a temporary rent freeze, across England and Wales.
“The SNP now needs to step up and show what combating poverty looks like.”
She added: “The SNP should use its powers to introduce a rent freeze and show what tackling the never-ending cost of living ‘crisis’ actually looks like in practice.”
Campaign to ramp up
Alongside its petition, members have been gathering information from tenants about how much they are paying in rent.
The petition is linked to a survey which will allow Living Rent to anonymously map rents reported by tenants and use the findings as part of its case to the Scottish Government.
The union intends to present the petition and evidence gathered from tenants ahead of the Programme for Government in September, calling for a rent freeze to form part of measures responding to the cost-of-living crisis.
Living Rent is expected to publish an open letter setting out its demands next week.
