SNP ministers’ rent controls have “failed”, critics have said, after figures showed that private rent had increased by more than 13 per cent on average.
The Scottish government released its housing market review on Thursday, showing the level of rent increases across the country in the year up to September.
Rent has risen by at least 11.7 per cent in each category of the private rented sector in the past year, the figures show. The highest increase was seen in shared one-bedroom homes, where average rent increased by 15.1 per cent to £490 per month.
Two-bedroom homes increased by 14.3 per cent to £841 per month, while three and four-bedroom homes increased by 13.3 per cent and 13.4 per cent respectively. The smallest increase was in non-shared one-bedroom flats, which rose by 11.7 per cent to £648.
On average, across shared one-bedroom to four-bedroom homes, private rents have increased by 13.5 per cent.
Advertisement
Rent increases varied by geography, with Dumfries and Galloway seeing a jump of just 1.5 per cent, compared with 22.3 per cent in greater Glasgow.
The figures come as the provisions of the Scottish government’s rent cap and eviction ban ended last month. The release covers advertised rent prices, which the 33-page report said did not reflect the impact of the rent cap, given it only affected rent rises for current tenants, rather than between tenancies.
Miles Briggs, the Scottish Conservative housing spokesman, described the rent controls as “misguided”.
“These eye-watering rent rises are higher still in Glasgow, the backyard of Patrick Harvie, the architect and champion of this failed policy,” he said. “Scotland is in the midst of a housing crisis and this policy, which has led to landlords removing properties from the rental market, has exacerbated it.
“And things are set to get worse still with the SNP-Greens’ brutal £200 million cut to the housing budget. Only the Scottish Conservatives are committed to tackling the housing crisis and putting an end to the SNP-Greens’ rash housing policies.”
Advertisement
The Times reported this week that up to ten housing firms said they would no longer invest in Scotland because of the government’s “anti-landlord legislation”. Scots are estimated to miss out on thousands of new homes as a result, industry insiders said.
The Scottish government was contacted for comment.
