There have been many changes in the private rented sector over the last few years. Chartered Surveying firm, FBR Seed, manage multiple properties across the country. Their Property Manager, Lois Renton, has detailed the three most recent changes to the sector that landlords need to be aware of.
The most recent change comes from the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act. This affects landlords specifically as it extends the eviction period and there is now clear guidance on what you must do regarding rent arrears before applying to the First Tier Tribunal. The notice period for most grounds is now 6 months and all grounds are discretionary. Expectation is that the changes will end at the end of September 2021.
Another recent change in legislation which affected all landlords is the change in tenancy agreement, known as the Private Residential Tenancy agreement (PRT) from the 2016 act.
This replaced the Short Assured Tenancy (SAT) and the main differences for landlords was the removal of the ‘end of tenancy’ clause for possession, also known as ‘No fault’ clause. There are also different notice period and rent review timescales.
A big consideration for all landlords over the next few years will be the minimum rating of the Energy Performance Certificate required to let a property.
- From April 2022, all properties for new tenancies must be an EPC ‘D’ rating
- From April 2025 all properties must be an EPC ‘D’ rating.
In addition to changes in EPC requirement, we also encourage landlords to research the upcoming changes to the Tolerable and Repairing Standards. These are a list of basic habitable requirements of the property which were changed in February 2021 and will change again in March 2024. Along with the basic compliance requirements, it is crucial that landlords put the correct measures in place as they are not recommendations, they are legal requirements.
FBR Seed Ltd can provide a document health check for landlords to ensure their tenancies are legal and compliant. Their team can also carry out a property inspection to suggest improvements, helping you comply with future EPC ratings.
For further information regarding any of the points above or any other property matters, please do not hesitate to contact the FBR Seed property team by emailing property@fbrseed.com or visit their website www.fbrseed.com.
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