The Housing (Scotland) Bill
“There are green shoots of hope” signals the ARL as Housing Minister Paul McLennan MSP takes full responsibility for the Housing (Scotland) Bill
It may have been a turbulent week for politics in Scotland with the ending of the Bute House Agreement yesterday, 25 April, but there are “green shoots of hope” for the Housing (Scotland) Bill according to the Association for Rental Living(ARL) as it was announced in the Meeting of the Parliament yesterday that Housing Minister Paul McLennan MSP would be “taking forward the housing bill”.
Whilst the new Housing Bill already provides for tenants’ rights, there is now an opportunity to look at the urgently needed supply of new homes in Scotland and the investment required to deliver them, comments the ARL.
This announcement follows the Scottish Property Federation’s annual conference held in Glasgow on 24 April, at which Minister McLennan joined a panel discussion on the proposed Housing Bill, including rent control, led by the ARL’s Scottish Hub Chair, Gillian McLees.
The ARL, which represents all institutionally backed, professionally managed purpose-built rental living sectors in the UK including urban and suburban single-family and multi-family rental, co-living and later living, has engaged with the Housing Minister on multiple occasions since 2023, contributing to the Housing Bill consultation and working constructively to a deliver a rental sector that works for both tenants and housing providers.
The ARL has also introduced the organisation’s Build to Rent (BTR) Code of Practice initiative, launched last month, to Housing Minister McLennan. The new Code, now open for road testing by those within the build to rent sector, sets out to define the ethos and standards of the sector, distinguishing it from traditional Buy to Let / PRS models.
“We welcome Minister Paul McLennan’s sole charge of the Housing (Scotland) Bill and look forward to continuing to work with him, and the Scottish Government, to deliver the good quality homes which are in such great demand.“
Gillian McLees, Chair of the ARL Scottish Hub
“There are green shoots of hope with Minister McLennan taking forward the Housing (Scotland) Bill. He has taken the time to engage and understand the role and value of the professionally-managed rental living sector, including both build to rent and single family housing, in meeting Scotland’s housing need. It is imperative that McLennan progresses the Housing Bill to deliver a fair deal for both tenants and housing providers, to ensure clarity and certainty so that Scotland is investable once again.“
Brendan Geraghty, CEO, ARL
——————–ENDS——————-
Notes to Editors
About the Association for Rental Living (ARL) The Association for Rental Living (ARL), previously known as the UK Apartment Association (UKAA), represents all institutionally backed, professionally managed purpose-built rental living sectors including urban and suburban single-family and multi-family rental, co-living and later living.
Continuing the legacy of the UKAA, the ARL is the recognised membership body for the BTR sector, and its subsectors, delivering an increasingly amplified and unified voice for the purpose-built rental sector.
Its vision is to redefine the very concept of rental living through the global transformation of the sector, pioneering a world where exceptional, sustainable homes to rent are a first choice. ARL membership currently stands at c. 330 organisations across the rental living sector ecosystem, reaching 4,500+ professionals.
It is committed to setting and raising standards across the BTR sector as demonstrated by the BTR Code of Practice.
The ARL is also a member of the global alliance of the NAA (National Apartment Association of USA), which represents over 82,000 members with more than 10 million rental housing units globally.