Tenants rally for rent controls at Bute House.

Living Rent tenants recently staged a powerful rally outside Bute House in Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Aberdeen to voice their support for rent controls. The purpose of the rally was to urge the First Minister to uphold rent controls and address the pressing housing crisis in Scotland.

The timing of the rally in Edinburgh was significant as it coincided with the Scottish Parliament’s consultation on the Housing Bill, inviting input from various stakeholders. In Glasgow, the rally took place near the statue of Mary Barbour, a prominent figure in the historical fight for rent controls in Scotland dating back to 1915.

Living Rent, a tenants’ organization, is calling on the new First Minister, John Swinney, to champion comprehensive rent controls as part of a holistic approach to meeting Scotland’s housing needs. The recent declaration of a housing emergency by the Scottish Government and five local authorities underscores the severity of the housing shortage across the country.

In response to the housing emergency declaration, Living Rent highlighted the mounting pressure on residents, the surge in homelessness applications, and the inadequacy of resources to address these challenges. Projections from the Scottish Homelessness Monitor suggest a potential 33% increase in homelessness by 2024 if immediate action is not taken.

Tenants in Scotland have faced exorbitant rent hikes over the past decade, with average rent increasing by 51.6% between 2010 and 2023. In some areas such as Lothian and Greater Glasgow, rent spikes have been even more dramatic, rising by 79.3% and 86.2% respectively during the same period.

The cost of living crisis has exacerbated the situation, with rents surging by 14.3% in the last year alone. In Greater Glasgow, the average monthly rent now stands at £1050, representing a 22.3% increase, while in Lothian, rents have soared to £1192, up by 18.4%. These staggering figures place Scotland among the highest in terms of year-on-year rent growth in the UK.

Living Rent has underscored the detrimental impact of high rents on individuals’ ability to afford basic living expenses. Low-income earners are particularly vulnerable, with more than half of their wages going towards rent. This financial strain has resulted in food insecurity for a significant portion of households, leading to skipped meals and reduced food consumption.

Ruth Gilbert, Living Rent’s national campaigns officer, emphasized the critical need for robust and permanent rent controls tied to properties rather than tenancies. The organization’s stance is that temporary measures like rent caps have not adequately addressed the root cause of soaring rents in Scotland.

Gilbert urged the Scottish Government to reverse cuts to affordable housing and implement strong rent controls as part of the forthcoming Housing Bill. Failure to act decisively on this issue, she warned, would perpetuate the cycle of unaffordable housing and exacerbate the plight of tenants across the country.