Official Report · Chamber
Portfolio Question Time
This is the draft Official Report. The final version may differ.
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To ask the Scottish Government how many private landlords have exited the private rented sector since 2021 and what assessment it has made of the impact of this on the availability and affordability of housing for tenant families. (S7O-00477)
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The Scottish Government has records from the Scottish landlord register since 2022. The register shows that the number of private landlord registrations decreased from 239,600 in January 2022 to 230,400 in September 2026, which is a reduction of 9,200. However, it also shows that the number of properties increased by 3 per cent over the same period.
A well-functioning and well-regulated private rented sector benefits both tenants and landlords. We recognise the vital importance that private landlords have in providing homes for individuals and families across Scotland, which is why we monitor the impact of policy on the supply of private rented sector stock.
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Does the cabinet secretary appreciate that, every time a private landlord leaves the sector, a family who were living in that property become homeless and will struggle to find alternative housing due to the housing crisis? If the Government’s policy is not all about punishing single-property landlords and driving them out of the market, what has gone wrong?
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As I said, there was an increase in the number of properties over the period from 2022 to 2026. We are of course very concerned about anything that is putting private landlords off being in the market, but we must also pay attention to the impact of policy on tenants in the private rented sector. We have to look at what is happening with both tenants and landlords.
On the specific area that David Smith mentioned of someone becoming homeless if a landlord wishes to move out of the private rented sector, I am sure that he will welcome the Government policy to give the first option to the tenant to buy a property if it goes on the market.
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It is crucial that there is affordability across all housing tenures. How is the Government working not only to assist those who wish to own their own home but to help others across the affordable housing supply programme?
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Patricia Gibson is quite right to point out that we need affordability across all tenures, whether in the private rented sector, social rent or mid-market rent or through low-cost home ownership, which is why the Government has a commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032. Part of that ambition is about social rent, but it is also about ensuring that other options are available, such as MMR and low-cost home ownership, so that we have an all-tenure approach to the housing challenges that exist in different parts of Scotland.
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I am not sure that the Scottish National Party truly understands the implications for the private rented sector and its vitalness in supporting our economy. I know of young people, doctors, dentists and businesses all seeking private rented accommodation—homes—in rural Scotland. Will the cabinet secretary help them by changing direction and finally realising that the private rented sector is what we need?
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I have said all along that it is very important that we look at all tenures, which includes the private rented sector. That is why I was delighted to attend the Scottish Association of Landlords conference only last week, to hear directly from private sector landlords about concerns about Government policies but also, importantly, to talk about the opportunities for the sector in rural and island areas and across the country.
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