Scotland’s Property Rental Sector Sets The Standard for The UK

By Gordon Campbell

November 2025

Scotland Housing Legislation

Housing legislation in Scotland is a Devolved power from the rest of the UK.

That means Scotland makes and decides its own rules and regulations.

The Scottish Parliament also has devolved powers over other various areas, including health, education, justice, and taxation, allowing it to legislate and govern onthese matters independently from the UK Parliament.

Hosing Legislation England

The very recent Renters Right Act 2025 in England has recently been passed as a new law.

This effects England and is causing concerns in the housing and rental market in England.

Here is a link with a summarised detail (click to open) Understanding the Renters’ Reform Bill | BB&C

Scotland Rental Market Sets the Gold Standard

Alliance Property Group is already seeing many more and new investors choosing Scotland as their main strategy.

There is a strong argument for looking to Scotland for inspiration.

Since 2018, Scotland has operated under a fully regulated rental sector that offers not just clarity for landlords and agents, but peace of mind for tenants.

For tenants, the benefits are clear: they have well-defined rights and can insist on high standards without fear of unfair eviction.

Scotland’s Housing and Property Chamber ensures that disputes are resolved fairly, providing a safe and transparent environment, out-with the national court system.

But it’s not just tenants who benefit from proper regulation, landlords do too.

Scotland Letting Agent Code Practice

One key advantage for landlords is the ability to hold letting agents to account.

Scotland has a strict, which Letting Agent Code of Practice which means that agents are held to high standards of service for both landlords and tenants.

This ensures that landlords can demand a quality, professional service and have clear recourse if agents fail to meet their obligations.

In England, no equivalent mandatory code exists, making Scotland’s framework an example of how regulation can enhance the landlord experience by ensuring consistency and reliability from agents.

In Scotland, we’ve been living with a regulated system since 2018, and, whilst not perfect, it works. While there are challenges, the regulations themselves haven’t negatively impacted the sector.

They’ve created a stable, fair environment that benefits everyone.

Lastly, for landlords concerned about problematic tenants, it’s worth noting that the Scottish system also provides clear grounds for ending tenancies in cases of non-payment or antisocial behaviour.

The challenge isn’t the law itself, but the inevitable delays in decisions being made due to case volumes.
Still, the framework is there to protect landlords’ interests as well, ensuring a balanced approach overall.

Conclusion

Scotland’s regulated rental sector is a blueprint for a fair and secure renting environment.

At Alliance, with our personal experiences as landlords and investors for a combined 48 years, we can appreciate how well the regulatory framework works.

t’s not all perfect, but it’s a system that proves a balanced, regulated approach can work, providing we have a healthy supply of properties.

Alliance Property Group…Making a Difference

If you are currently or looking to start, or still not sure about investing in property and want to benefit from our unique offering of off market and below market value properties please get in touch.

We will share our 48 years’ experience, knowledge and expertise.

If any questions on anything, let us know and we will be happy to help in any way we can.

Contact us here by dropping us a message.

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