Rent Cap Extended to 31 March 2024 and Further Rent Controls To Be Introduced

5th September 2023

From the First Ministers Speech

In addition we recognise housing costs are a key factor in determining people's standard of living.

During the cost-of-living crisis, this government took prompt action to introduce emergency rent caps for most private tenants, and to introduce additional protections against eviction. We have now laid regulations to ensure those measures will remain in place until 31 March next year.

We will also introduce a Housing Bill to introduce long-term rent controls and new tenant rights, and to establish new duties for the prevention of homelessness.

We will continue to work to reduce the number of people living in temporary accommodation. We will invest £750 million to support the delivery of affordable homes, and meet our target of securing 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

Ten percent of those homes will be located in rural and island communities because we know those communities are facing housing challenges.

But we also know those communities are not passive. We see in the likes of the Arran Development Trust, the Mull and Iona Community Trust and Staffin Community Trust real ambition in supporting new housing.