GOVERNMENT MUST DO MORE TO PROTECT TENANTS - PRINGLE

1.13.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 14th May 2009

Commenting on Shelter Scotland's report Landlord registration in Scotland: three years on Mike Pringle, MSP for Edinburgh South has urged the Scottish Government to do more to protect tenants through the National Landlords Registration Scheme.

Mr Pringle has called for an immediate review of the effectiveness of the scheme to overcome the barriers preventing the system operating effectively and to ensure that the Government provides local authorities with the means and resources to address worst practice. He also called for the introduction of a Tenant Deposit Protection Scheme to protect tenants security deposits from rogue landlords.

Mike Pringle said:

"This report has only served to highlight the problems that face Scotland's 173,000 private tenants. It is not right that individuals and families already struggling in the current financial crisis can be held to ransom by unscrupulous landlords who don't return their deposits.

"The National Landlords Registration Scheme has ensured that there has been significant progress in improving standards in the rented sector, it is now a case of making sure that the resources are in place to use the system effectively to combat worst practice.

"At present there are no laws to determine how much landlords can charge as a deposit or to stop landlords unfairly retaining deposits.

"Tenants in England already have their deposits protected by law under the self-funding Deposit Protection Service. A similar scheme should be introduced in Scotland."

Graeme Brown, Director of Shelter Scotland, said:

"I welcome the backing of Mike Pringle MSP for our Landlord Registration report.

"Shelter Scotland shares the desire of responsible landlords and local authorities who want to see Landlord Registration work. However, the scheme is failing to weed out the minority of landlords who are giving the sector a bad name whilst too many tenants who don't know their rights continue to suffer.

"That is why it is vital an independent review of the scheme is carried out urgently and a national publicity drive is needed to improve awareness amongst both landlords and tenants about their rights and responsibilities.

"The private rented sector has an important contribution to make towards Scotland's internationally acclaimed commitment to give everyone the right to a home by 2012. Most landlords will share Shelter's alarm at the continuing behaviour of a minority of rogue operators."

Ends.

Notes to Editors:

The full text of Mike Pringle MSP's Motion was as follows:

S3M-04078 Mike Pringle (Edinburgh South) (Scottish Liberal Democrats): Landlord Registration in Scotland, Three Years On: That the Parliament welcomes the report from Shelter Scotland Landlord Registration in Scotland: 3 years on, which examines the progress councils have made towards implementation of the landlord registration scheme to register all private landlords and agents; notes the concerns highlighted in the report that landlord registration is not yet fulfilling the expectations placed upon it, and calls on the Scottish Government: to review immediately the effectiveness of the landlord registration scheme to overcome the barriers preventing the system from working effectively; to clarify the aims of landlord registration to ensure local authorities have the means and resources not only to administer the process of registering landlords, but also to address worst practice and protect tenants; to ensure that tenants and landlords are fully aware of their renting rights and responsibilities and take action to get rid of the worst landlords, and to introduce a mandatory Tenant Deposit Scheme to protect tenants from rogue landlords.