Buy-to-let landlords could be banned from evicting private tenants in Scotland for up to six months if the Scottish government’s plans are approved due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Ministers want to make evictions illegal for everyone living in properties rented privately or social housing in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell said they will use emergency powers granted under the Coronavirus Bill to prevent people affected by the Coronavirus outbreak from losing their homes. 

The Accountant in Bankruptcy agency has also suspended evictions for those involved in bankruptcy proceedings.

The UK government has already banned all evictions in England and Wales for a period of three months, although some analysts believe that this period could be extended. 

In the Scottish Parliament yesterday, Campbell said: “There should be no eviction as a result of Covid-19.

“Our emergency legislation will have provisions to ensure there will be no evictions from the private rented sector or the social rented sector for six months.”

The First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon, also supported proposed legislation to protect all types of tenants during the Covid-19 outbreak.

She commented: “Nobody should be evicted from their home as a result of this crisis and I will make that clear at every opportunity.

“We’ve already indicated a legislative change we will make to expand the three month period for which people can’t be evicted for rent arrears to six months.

“We will continue to look at how we give people additional security over and above that.”