The Housing (Scotland) Invoice acquired Royal Assent on 6 November 2025, changing into the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, which is designed to strengthen tenant protections, increase housing requirements, and assist stop homelessness.
The brand new Act introduces contemporary duties for native authorities and landlords throughout numerous tenancy sorts, whereas additionally granting further rights to tenants.
Key provisions of the Act:
+ Native authorities should perform common assessments of hire situations of their areas (similar to common hire ranges and the way shortly they’re rising).
+ Scottish ministers can designate “Hire Management Areas” (RCAs) the place extra stringent hire regulation applies.
+ In RCAs, limits might be positioned on how a lot hire can improve — possible tied to inflation (CPI) + 1% and capped at 6% per yr.
+ There are restrictions on how usually hire may be elevated throughout a tenancy and between tenancies.
+ Courts and the First‑tier Tribunal should think about whether or not an eviction must be delayed, taking into consideration tenant hardship, seasonal/different elements.
+ Adjustments to how damages for illegal eviction are calculated.
+ New rights for tenants:
- Tenants in each non-public and social housing can request permission to maintain pets.
- Non-public tenants can ask to make alterations or embellish their properties.
- In a joint tenancy, one tenant can now finish their a part of the tenancy with out everybody else having to agree.
As well as, a brand new “Ask & Act” obligation: public our bodies (e.g., well being boards, police) should ask whether or not somebody is homeless or in danger and take motion.
Native authorities should act earlier, as much as six months forward of homelessness threat (relatively than solely nearer to the disaster).
Strengthened protections for tenants impacted by home abuse: landlords and social landlords have new duties to help tenants whose arrears or housing threat stems from abuse.
The laws additionally introduces powers to implement Awaab’s Regulation in Scotland – requiring landlords to reply promptly to hazards like damp and mold.
Adjustments to cellular‑residence pitch charges (they’ll observe CPI relatively than RPI), and amendments referring to gas poverty reporting, and knowledge sharing between the Scottish Public Providers Ombudsman and the New Properties Ombudsman.
Timothy Douglas, head of coverage and campaigns at Propertymark, commented: “Royal Assent for the Housing (Scotland) Act marks one other important milestone for the non-public rented sector. Native authorities throughout Scotland will now begin to put together and submit experiences to the Scottish Authorities on the hire situations of their localities by the tip of Could 2027, which may result in the introduction of Hire Management Areas.
“Letting brokers have to work with landlords to organize and adjust to requests for info from councils in addition to perceive how the brand new rights for tenants when it comes to pets and making modifications to rented property will impression how they handle tenancies.
“Additional readability continues to be wanted from the Scottish authorities on exemptions to Hire Management Areas and steering to help the modifications. Propertymark stands able to work with the Scottish Authorities to make sure the reforms are applied in a means that’s proof primarily based and honest to landlords, tenants and letting brokers.”
Ralph Peters, Bidwells’ head of rural, Scotland, believes {that a} invoice which began as a “well-intentioned” piece of land reform laws which all sides may have labored with “has ended up changing into a bureaucratic nightmare”.
He continued: “Any draft laws, with tons of of proposed amendments on the committee stage, nonetheless requiring intensive secondary laws to implement, clearly lacks readability and precision in its drafting.”
“A Land Fee and SNP authorities goal to cut back giant landholdings now threatens to undermine the very landscape-scale restoration that the federal government itself has championed.
“Even the Scottish authorities’s personal Internet Zero, Vitality and Transport Committee has mentioned that, in its present type, the invoice is just too giant and too difficult. With widespread concern amongst stakeholders on all sides it’s disappointing and worrying the calls to rethink the laws have gone unheeded.”
