A politician has lodged proposals that would allow renters to withhold rent payments if landlords do not promptly carry out serious repairs to their property.

The Green Party member of the Scottish Parliament – Ariane Burgess – has proposed an amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Bill which would see renters able to withhold payment of rent if landlords do not carry out the repairs within 30 days of being notified about the issues.

She claims this would ensure major concerns such as damp, mould, broken floorings and heating and hot water systems are repaired promptly, so that private housing stock is maintained to a safe standard for living in.

The amendment would also make the tribunal process “more evenly shared” as landlords who act in bad faith would have to prove they have done enough to resolve the issue to unlock the withheld rent.

Burgess says: “My proposals will make it easier for renters to stand up to rogue landlords and to get vital repairs done quickly.

“At the moment, renters can do little except threaten to take their landlords to tribunals, which can be time consuming and stressful, and the burden of the tribunal falls on the renter.

“My amendment, which is backed by Living Rent, would allow tenants to withhold rent if their landlord hasn’t fixed serious issues within a timeframe of 30 days of being notified about them.

“Renters should expect their homes to be maintained to the same standard as any other. But in some cases, there are landlords who simply feel it is okay to take rent and let their properties fester with damp, mould and serious problems that significantly impact health and wellbeing.

“While not all landlords let this happen, and many will be encouraged to keep up the good work, there are some bad faith actors who fail to maintain their properties. For those who rent these properties, it can be a miserable experience. People in this situation need more support and the power to make sure major repairs happen.”