Report Claims Scotland Needs More Houses

Housing supply in Scotland needs to increase to ensure private rents stay affordable, that's according to a new report.

The survey by property website Lettingweb shows that 66% of tenants find their rent affordable. Private rents are rising in most cities, with Aberdeen and Edinburgh remaining the most expensive places to live.

Rental costs in the capital rose by over 5% over the cours of last year, but in Aberdeen they shrunk by 1.2%.

Dan Cookson, Head of Research at Lettingweb, and author of the Lettingstats report, said:

“Lack of supply remains the most pressing issue in the market for Scottish private rented housing. Over the past ten years, hundreds of thousands of small scale landlords have stepped up to the plate to provide for a huge expansion in the market. It is clear that if the private rented market is to continue to meet the growing demand for flexible living that institutional investment will be required.

“These new figures show that whilst the last year has shown some rental level growth across most of Scotland, available property remains affordable for the vast majority of tenants and prospective tenants. That affordability is crucial to the further growth of the market, as it seeks to meet continually increasing demand.”