Proposed new legislation to reform private rental agreements would make it more difficult for landlords to tackle antisocial behaviour.
A law to stop property owners from bringing tenancy leases to a natural end's been proposed by the Scottish social justice secretary.
But landlords say this would make it more difficult to evict problem tenants, and would require neighbours to make a formal complaint and give evidence at a tribunal to get rid of antisocial residents.
As 350 delegates from across Scotland gather for a major industry event in Edinburgh, National Landlord Day, 56 letting agents, representing the landlords of over 16,000 properties in total, have signed a statement saying they are concerned that by removing a landlord’s right to allow a tenancy to come to a natural end, the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill if enacted would make it harder for them to tackle anti-social behaviour.
John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords said: "A key complaint we have heard from our own members, as well as from those in our letting agent wing, the Council of Letting Agents, is that the measures in the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Bill will make it harder to tackle anti-social behaviour.
"The people often most affected by anti-social behaviour are those in vulnerable groups such as older people who could feel threatened by a neighbour. They may be less likely to publicly complain, let alone be willing to take part in what is a formal legal process. These people would in future have to suffer in silence and our landlords would be powerless to help."
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