Scotland’s new Housing Bill – introducing a laborious eviction process and rent caps across the country – will ‘compound the mistakes’ already made.

That’s the warning from Scottish Land & Estates, which represents landowners north of the border.

The new Bill has been laid before the Scottish Parliament and includes provisions to introduce rent control areas, restrictions on rent increases, delays on evictions and new rules around the ending of joint tenancies.

Scottish Land & Estates says the significant recent decrease in homes available to rent in rural areas was likely to be worsened by the new legislation.

Policy advisor Anna Gardiner comments: “The Scottish Government had an opportunity to work with both landlords and tenants to attempt to return confidence to the private rented sector – and thereby improve how things work for both groups.

“Instead, the new legislation appears to compound the mistakes that have led to a crash in the number of properties available to rent in rural areas, and tenants being unable to find accommodation to suit their needs. The lack of available housing, particularly in the rented sector, is a key driver of rural depopulation.

“This Bill provided an opportunity to tackle this, but instead, the Scottish Government has chosen, once again, to force failed solutions to urban problems on rural communities, with no thought for the consequences. We are pleased, however, to see our ask for decisions to be evidence-driven and based on data appears to have been taken on board.

“The new Bill also appears to further complicate the eviction process. Good tenants are valued by landlords and tenants are seldom asked to leave a property without good reason. However, by the government skewing the balance of rights even further in favour of tenants, it will bring anxiety to landlords about their ability to regain vacant possession if required.

“Most importantly, the Bill does nothing to encourage the building of new homes at a time when the government’s own data underlines how few homes are being built.

“This is the first draft of the legislation and we hope that Ministers will work with us and others in the sector to address some of the potential negative outcomes. There is a real opportunity for government to ensure a well-functioning private residential tenancy for rural areas and we would be pleased to meet and enter into dialogue towards achieving this.

“At a time when there is a housing crisis, and a shortage of homes to rent, we need a Bill that will deliver substantial progress in alleviating the problems that exist and we hope government will work constructively towards that.”