Stage 1 Scrutiny by the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee (lead committee)
Aims of The Bill
The aim of the Bill is to replace the current system of private tenancies in Scotland. This would see the existing short assured tenancy and assured tenancy replaced with a single new tenancy, known as the private residential tenancy. The Scottish Government believes that this new tenancy model will provide appropriate safeguards for landlords, lenders and investors.
The Bill also aims to provide tenants with protection against excessive rent increases and provide rent predictability, including the ability for Scottish Ministers to introduce caps on rent increases for sitting tenants in Rent Pressure Zone.
The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill was introduced to the Parliament by the Scottish Government on 7 October 2015.
Read SPICe briefing on the Bill here
Read SPICe briefing on Private Rents here
Evidence
Written evidence
The Committee is keen to gather the views of all interested organisations and individuals on the Bill’s proposals and issued a call for views on 9 October 2015.
Read the call for views and find out how to contribute here.
Read the written submissions received
The Committee also issued an online survey to allow those interested to contribute to the scrutiny of the Bill. This survey resulted in almost 500 responses and a summary of its findings are available here:
Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill - Summary of Responses to the Online Survey, November 2015 (289 KB pdf)
Oral evidence
The first evidence session was held on 4 November 2015 and the Committee heard from representatives of the Scottish Government Bill Team followed by representatives of Citizen Advice Scotland, Crisis, Homeless Action Scotland, Living Rent Campaign, National Union of Students (NUS) Scotland and Shelter Scotland.
Official Report 4 November 2015
The second evidence session was held on 11 November 2015 and the Committee heard from representatives of Association of Residential Letting Agents (ARLA), Council of Letting Agents, LetScotland, PRS 4 Scotland, RICS Scotland, Scottish Association of Landlords and Scottish Land and Estates.
Official Report 11 November 2015
The third evidence session was held on 18 November 2015 and the Committee heard from representatives of Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers (ALACHO), Govan Law Centre, City of Edinburgh Council, Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA), Legal Services Agency and Law Society of Scotland.
Official Report 18 November 2015
The forth evidence session was held on 2 December 2015 and the Committee heard from the Minister for Housing and Welfare.
Official Report 2 December 2015
Work By Other Committees
The Finance Committee and the Delegated Powers and Reform Committee also scrutinised aspects of the Bill and their reports are available here:
Finance Committee Report, 2015 (Session 4): Report on the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill's Financial Memorandum
Delegated Powers and Reform Committee's 75th Report, 2015 (Session 4): Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1
Report
The Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee published its Stage 1 Report to the Parliament on 14 January 2016.
Read the Infrastructure and Capital Investment Committee's 1st Report, 2016 (Session 4): Stage 1 Report on the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill
Debate
The Stage 1 Debate on the Bill took place in the Scottish Parliament on 21 January 2016. You can read the Official Report of the debate here:
Official Report 21 January 2016
At its meeting on 10 February 2016, the Committee considered the Bill at Stage 2. You can read the Official Report of the meeting here:
Official Report 10 February 2016
The Stage 3 Debate on the Bill took place in the Scottish Parliament on 17 March 2016. You can read the Official Report of the debate here:
Official Report 17 March 2016
Additional Information