Earlier this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon announced a freeze on residential rents in Scotland.
The legislation, which will remain in place until March 2023, will be popular with some voters, but I fear this is yet another ill-conceived notion, which has been introduced on a whim with no real regard for the possible consequences and knock-on effect such a freeze could have.
The rent freeze will affect both the social and private housing sectors and has been introduced by Holyrood as part of a package of measures which will aim to help those struggling with the cost-of-living crisis.
While it may sound like a fantastic solution, in practice, a move like this is incredibly complicated to implement and could have a hugely negative impact on the housing sector.
The government has been criticised for failing to consult with industry experts ahead of making the announcement and for the lack of clarity provided around the plans.
With the “emergency legislation” set to be introduced in a matter of weeks, landlords are calling for further detail, which is yet to be given, and some are even threatening legal action.
John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords, said: “We still need to see the details and the legislation, but all options are open, and we are prepared to take appropriate legal action based on what the legislation says.”
The build-to-rent (BTR) sector has been shaken by the news and numerous affordable housing and private rental sector developments all over the country have been paused since the announcement was made.
It’s estimated that we need 25,000 new properties a year for both rental and ownership to meet current levels of demand. However, we are lagging on this front, with an average of just 17,000 new properties being built each year over the last decade.
If the rent freeze causes more property developments to screech to a halt in the coming year, we’ll be even further away from meeting those targets. So, perhaps our government should be more concerned with providing new houses than introducing a rent freeze with little to no consultation beforehand.
I completely understand the grave situation many are facing as living costs continue to rise across the board, but perhaps rather than hammering those who provide accommodation, the government could focus efforts on helping people pay their bills in the first place.
Landlords are often an easy target, but they are also affected by the surging costs and rapidly rising interest rates. I would not be surprised if a significant portion of private landlords in Scotland decide to sell off their properties in the coming year, deciding it’s not worth the hassle or expense of maintaining, making it even more difficult for renters to find other suitable accommodation.
I wonder if this was taken into consideration before the First Minister announced these plans or if she was more interested in generating some positive sentiment for her party – and indulging her partners in the anti-business Green Party – than scrutinising the finer details and potential consequences of a rent freeze.
The new scheme has also attracted criticism from those in the social housing sector. Sally Thomson, the chief executive of the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations, penned a fascinating response to the new legislation in Inside Housing, where she expressed her concerns around the rent freeze.
Sally believes that the rent freeze could lead to fewer social houses, poorer quality housing and could cause those working in the sector to take their focus away from decarbonisation.
If no additional financial support is given to social housing landlords, they may not be able to maintain their existing properties to their current standards, investment in energy efficiency is likely to drop and building new affordable homes is likely to come to a standstill.
I’m sure the announcement will be a short-term vote winner and will prove popular with those who are struggling to make ends meet, however it is renters who will suffer longer term.
It will be interesting to see how this situation develops and I hope the rent freeze does not end up freezing out renters and landlords.
Luxury dental care coming to Prestwick
We all know about the widespread issues that have been plaguing NHS dentistry since the pandemic, rendering it almost impossible to get a dentist appointment or to join a new dental practice. For those who fear the dentist, the trepidation of waiting was made even worse.
However, a new private dental clinic set to open its doors in Prestwick is hoping to take away the scare of sitting in the chair by adding a touch of luxury to the experience.
Adam Morgan, who has founded Haus of Dentistry along with his partner Conor Morgan, is determined to make sure that getting your pearly whites looked at is a high-end experience, especially for those who usually dislike the process.
Conor has experience as a business consultant and has worked with five-star hotels such as the Four Seasons and Jumeirah chains, as well as a range of private dental clinics across the globe.
I’m a firm believer that most things in life should be enjoyable, so why should a trip to the dentist be any different? By creating an air of luxury, Haus of Dentistry is set to do just that. The clinic is also set to offer medical aesthetics, with a specialist available once a week to help those looking for the ageing process go a little slower.
It’s a viable option for those with disposable income who are looking for a new private dentist, and with memberships starting at £20 per month, I’m sure Adam and Conor will experience a significant uptake.
It’s also great to see more investment being made in Prestwick, and the business is sure to bring a good boost to the seaside town’s local economy as they continue to grow and expand.
It Made Me Laugh
You often see some weird and wonderful sights in Glasgow city centre. However, even the locals will have done a double take after a man clad in a cowboy hat was spotted by shoppers herding two sheep along the city’s style mile.
Passersby were dumbfounded when they saw the farmyard animals wandering up the popular shopping street, oblivious to their surroundings. As we all know shops are trying everything to drive football and get customers back into their stores, but this – ewe got to be joking!
It really did make me chuckle as it’s not something you see every day. I wonder if this is the next big thing. Are we about to see a campaign to make our high streets more sheep friendly? Or will we now see the street renamed to Baa-Baa-Buchanan Street?
It Made Me Weep
I’ve often touched on cybersecurity and the need for Scottish companies to invest in protecting their business from an online attack.
To drive this home, it was sad to see that Rockstar Games were the victim of an internet hacker and more than 90 images and videos had been stolen and leaked for their latest Grand Theft Auto game.
The global video game giant, which has a base in Edinburgh, has fallen foul to hackers as footage from the latest iteration of its game were distributed on an online forum, showing early development snippets.
I don’t foresee a huge amount of damage for the company due to the leak and it won’t negatively impact the launch of the much-hyped game, but with several years of hard work already put into its creation, it could certainly have been much worse.
