The Scottish National Party (SNP) and Scottish Greens have ended their coalition agreement, throwing the future of the country’s private rented sector into question.
The coalition presided over almost 18 months of rent increase caps and eviction restrictions, which critics said had deterred much-needed investment in Scottish housing. This March, they introduced the Housing (Scotland) Bill, which would have imposed permanent rent controls (within and between tenancies) and given courts more powers to delay evictions.
But with the Greens now out of power, the SNP may be less radical. Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, who was the coalition’s Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights, was widely seen as the driving force behind Scotland’s rental reform plans. While the coalition agreement between the SNP and the Greens included national rent, the SNP only pledged to strengthen local Rent Pressure Zones in their 2021 manifesto, suggesting that the most radical parts of the reform package came from the Green side.
The end of the coalition agreement could also affect energy efficiency requirements in Scotland’s private rented sector. At the end of last year, landlords were given until the end of 2028 to bring all privately rented homes up to an EPC C rating – replacing the previous deadline of 2025. At the time, the government also began a consultation into energy efficiency standards in homes and other buildings. But given that the coalition fell apart over the SNP’s U-turn on climate policy, they may not want to press ahead with tough changes.
Will rental reforms happen at all?
The SNP is currently in power as a minority government. If they want to press ahead with rental reform, they will need the support of other parties to do so. The Greens have already said that they will work with the SNP to support “progressive values”, but the government is only two seats short of a minority and could also work with the Conservatives, Labour or Liberal Democrats to pass some kind of rental reform bill.
Time is also a factor. The SNP has avoided a lengthy leadership contest by electing John Swinney unopposed, but still has to hold a general election by 7 May 2026. The coalition had aimed to pass the Housing (Scotland) Bill by the end of 2025, which doesn’t leave much room for negotiations with other parties. A minority government also makes an early election much more likely, especially if the SNP fails to pass a budget in early 2025.
Other Scotland headlines
Calls for Swinney to prioritise Housing Bill amid ‘astronomical’ rent increases – STV News
Landlords in Scotland ‘feel like pariahs’ amid political rhetoric – LandlordZONE
Could compulsory sales orders help tackle Scotland’s housing crisis? – The National
