The Scottish Government’s Housing Bill allows SNP and Green politicians to create rent control areas, triggered by local authorities, and this would allow the politicians to cap the amount tenants pay – irrespective of landlords’ wishes and expenditure.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill, published yesterday, will place a duty on local councils to carry out assessments within their areas on the state of the private rented sector, making recommendations to ministers about the imposition of rent controls.

The Bill does not specify particular controls which could be placed on landlords, but it does state that rises would be capped during and in between tenancies.

If passed, the Bill also imposes a duty on first-tier tribunal and the sheriff court to consider the timing of any notice to evict, to ensure tenants are not asked to leave their home to “reduce, as far as possible, the negative impact of eviction at a time of greater stress resulting from additional pressures or individual circumstances”, according to the legislation small print.

Patrick Harvie, tenants’ rights minister in the Scottish Government, says: “Tenants benefit from improved conditions and security, while good responsible landlords will thrive when their good practice is recognised by regulation. Scotland has led the way across the UK in improving the experience of people who rent their homes and this reform has been at the same time as significant growth in the size of the private rented sector.

“Progressive reform can lead to better conditions and a healthy rented sector overall. I want to keep working with both tenants and landlords to achieve that goal.”

There’s been support for the move from Scottish tenants’ union Living Rent. A spokesperson says: “Tenants are being pushed to the edge by unaffordable rents … If passed, these will have a huge impact on tenants’ lives, ensuring that we have homes that we can actually call ours.

“But we know the landlord lobby will try to water down the bill at every step. Our representatives need to stand up for tenants and bring in robust rent controls that both improve housing quality and ensure homes in Scotland are affordable.”

Meanwhile the Scottish Association of Landlords said the Bill will exacerbate problems in the private rental sector.

Chief executive John Blackwood says: “The rent control proposals, as has been seen in places like Ireland which has similar measures, will see reduced investment and more landlords leaving the sector, leading to higher costs for tenants.

“The effects of Scottish Government policies in the private rented sector are already being felt, with rising costs reducing supply and placing more pressure on council and housing association properties that they are struggling to cope with.”