March 8, 2022
Renters across Scotland are being asked to outbid one another to secure a home, which campaigners say is driving up prices for tenants amidst a housing crisis.
Renters who viewed both city and rural properties told The Ferret, and tenant’s union, Living Rent, that letting agencies encouraged them to offer higher than advertised monthly rates or up to six months’ rent up front to increase their chances of a lease.
Living Rent claimed landlords and agents “are able to act with total impunity to the detriment of tenants”. It called for a “points-based system of rent controls,” with prices “tied to the quality of the home”.
Letting agents confirmed the practice, which they attributed to a rental stock shortage as landlords selling up in light of record property prices. One agent said rental bids were unheard of pre-Covid-19.
In June, Paul Virtue and his wife Ruth began looking for homes after being given notice on their rented Kirkcudbright property. But many landlords did not want to accommodate Virtue’s assistance dog or six children, even in four or five bedroom homes.