The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 is now in force and the guidance also reiterates information on when to do safety checks, and for the approach to gas certificates.
Key updates
- Short-term emergency loan scheme
In a recent debate in the Scottish Parliament the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning said that the Scottish Government would develop a short-term emergency loan scheme to support the sector. The guidance confirms that a loan fund will be in place by the end of April and eligible private landlords who apply to the fund will be offered an interest-free loan with deferred payments.
- New rules on evictions
The Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 protects tenants in Scotland from any eviction action for up to 6 months. The guidance confirms that the new law applies in cases where a landlord serves notice on their tenant on or after 07 April 2020. Where a landlord has served notice on their tenant before 07 April 2020, the changes in the new law do not apply.
- Postponement of the new energy efficiency regulations
The Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property (Scotland) Regulations 2020 were due to come into force on 1 April 2020. However, because of the COVID-19 crisis, the Scottish Government decided not to launch these regulations at this time. The Scottish Government has said that the work on improving energy efficiency in private rented housing will resume once the current COVID-19 crisis comes to an end.
- Rent payments
The Scottish Government has reiterated that rent will still be due under the terms of the tenancy agreement and tenants who are able to pay rent as normal must continue to do so. Landlords and agents should signpost tenants who are concerned about paying their rent to the financial assistance available from the Scottish Government.
In order to #KeepTheRentFlowing landlords and agents should offer support and understanding to tenants who may start to see their income fluctuate. An early conversation between landlord and tenant can help both parties to agree a plan if tenants are struggling to pay their rent.
The guidance from the Scottish Government will be updated on a regular basis and Propertymark will continue to update members when further information is produced.
