The Scottish Government

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Views sought on landlord registration

20/07/2008

The Scottish Government is seeking views from private landlords and tenants' groups on proposed changes to its landlord registration scheme.

With approved applications now standing at 80 per cent (96,500 out of a total 119,000 applications) - up from 15 per cent in May 2007 - the vast majority of Scottish private landlords are now registered with their local authority, helping to reassure tenants that their prospective landlord makes the grade.

Meanwhile, local authorities are continuing to approach the small minority of landlords who have not applied, to ensure they comply with the law.

Now, following a recent review of how the registration process works in practice, the Scottish Government wants to hear from a wide spectrum of interested parties as it prepares amendments to the secondary legislation to further improve the system. The consultation will run until October 10, 2008.

Key proposals to be consulted on include:

• Changes to the fee and discount structure - simplifying the structure for both local authorities and landlords. Key features include proposals to increase the online discount from 10 per cent to 20 per cent, increase the discount for charities from 80 per cent to 100 per cent, and changes to the discounts available for landlords with portfolios in more than one local authority
• Changes to exemptions, including whether the position of resident landlords should be reviewed - they are currently exempt from registration
• A recommendation that the advice and assistance regulations be extended to place a duty on local authorities to provide advice to tenants who report an unregistered landlord

Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell said:

"We've seen dramatic progress in the past year or so in driving up the registration rates and this is something both tenants and landlords should welcome.

"It gives tenants peace of mind when they're looking for a home and helps ensure that the private rented sector's image isn't tarnished by the minority of rogue landlords who don't take their responsibilities seriously.

"But we want to improve the system even further and that's why we're consulting on changes to the secondary legislation we intend to bring forward.

"We think our proposals will streamline the system, making it easier for landlords to apply to and councils to administer. At the same time, we want to make sure that tenants are getting the right advice and support from their local authorities."

Scotland's national landlord accreditation scheme, Landlord Accreditation Scotland (LAS) was launched by Mr Maxwell on April 30 this year. The voluntary scheme, run by the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) and the Scottish Rural Property and Business Association (SRPBA)is designed to be complementary to landlord registration and reward the majority of landlords who provide a quality service to their tenants.

The table below details the number and percentage of approved applications per local authority (up to July 16, 2008):