LANDLORDS URGED TO USE NEW PROCEDURE

Landlords are being urged to utilise a new procedure which will allow them to gain access to their properties to carry out any essential work, in order to help maintain the standards of property in the Private Rented Sector (PRS) in Scotland.

The procedure, which came into force on 1^st December 2015, was granted by the Scottish Parliament under the Private Rented Housing Panel (Landlord Applications) (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

The new regulations will now give landlords the option to apply to the Private Rented Housing Panel (PRHP) in order to gain a right of entry to one of their properties where they wish to check it meets the minimum repairing standards or if they need to carry out any work required to meet the repairing standard.

John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), the organisation that lead a long campaign for the new regulations, said: “By putting in place a clear procedure where they can apply for a right of access to check a property meets the minimum repairing standards or to carry out any work required to meet the repairing standard, landlords will be able to ensure homes are in top condition.

“These new measures put in place a clear procedure for a landlord to apply to the PRHP to gain access to the property so they can be properly maintained without compromising the tenant’s security of tenure.”

If you have any queries about how these changes could affect you, please don’t hesitate to contact Orchard & Shipman today. As a company with over 25 years’ experience dealing with private landlords, our team of experts understand the impact a change in government policy can have. We’re readily available to guide and advise you through these sometimes confusing changes in legislation.