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| The Scottish Government is going to introduce rent controls | The Scottish Government is going to introduce rent controls |
| (about 20 hours later) | |
| The Scottish Government is to introduce rent control powers to limit steep rises in the cost of housing, it has announced. | The Scottish Government is to introduce rent control powers to limit steep rises in the cost of housing, it has announced. |
| First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today released the SNP’s programme for government for the party’s final year before the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections. | First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today released the SNP’s programme for government for the party’s final year before the 2016 Scottish Parliament elections. |
| The programme contains a Private Tenancies Bill which includes measures to “provide more predictable rents and protection for tenants against excessive rent increases, including the ability to introduce rent controls for rent pressure areas”. | The programme contains a Private Tenancies Bill which includes measures to “provide more predictable rents and protection for tenants against excessive rent increases, including the ability to introduce rent controls for rent pressure areas”. |
| New model tenancies will also increase security of tenure for tenants and prevent landlords from asking tenants to leave simply because a fixed-term contract has ended. | New model tenancies will also increase security of tenure for tenants and prevent landlords from asking tenants to leave simply because a fixed-term contract has ended. |
| Nicola Sturgeon | Nicola Sturgeon |
| The policy would apply to areas where rents are rising the fastest. | The policy would apply to areas where rents are rising the fastest. |
| Labour pledged to introduce rent controls in its 2015 UK general election manifesto. Former leader Ed Miliband said rises should be limited to inflation over a three-year period and that the standard tenancy length should become three years. | Labour pledged to introduce rent controls in its 2015 UK general election manifesto. Former leader Ed Miliband said rises should be limited to inflation over a three-year period and that the standard tenancy length should become three years. |
| Rent controls enjoy broad popular support, with a Survation poll conducted in January this year finding that only 6.8 per cent of the public are “somewhat” or “strongly” against the controls. | Rent controls enjoy broad popular support, with a Survation poll conducted in January this year finding that only 6.8 per cent of the public are “somewhat” or “strongly” against the controls. |
| 59 per cent of those polls said they somewhat or strongly supported the state being able to control what landlords take from tenants each month. | 59 per cent of those polls said they somewhat or strongly supported the state being able to control what landlords take from tenants each month. |
| Conservative chair Grant Shapps however branded Labour’s proposals at the election “Venezuelan-style”, a reference to the left-wing governments of Hugo Chavez and Nicolás Maduro. | |
| Controls have since been proposed by some Labour candidates for Mayor of London. | Controls have since been proposed by some Labour candidates for Mayor of London. |
| Most continental European countries have some form of regulation to control increases in rents. In the UK, however, landlords can charge whatever they want. | Most continental European countries have some form of regulation to control increases in rents. In the UK, however, landlords can charge whatever they want. |
| Before free market reforms introduced by Margaret Thatcher in the Housing Act 1988, local authority rent officers had the ability to negotiate significantly lower rents for private tenants. | Before free market reforms introduced by Margaret Thatcher in the Housing Act 1988, local authority rent officers had the ability to negotiate significantly lower rents for private tenants. |
| Across the UK rents have gone up by 12 per cent in the past year, according to the HomeLet index for the three months to July 2015. | Across the UK rents have gone up by 12 per cent in the past year, according to the HomeLet index for the three months to July 2015. |