Problem tenants in Scotland could remain in homes for months while not paying any rent if emergency coronavirus legislation is not repealed, business groups have warned.
The moratorium on evictions was introduced in the pandemic, and a bill making its way through Holyrood would make the changes permanent, resulting in a tribunal every time a landlord wished to remove a tenant.
A debate on the bill is to be held in Holyrood next week.
Scottish Land and Estates, the farmers’ union NFU Scotland and the Scottish Association of Landlords have written a joint letter to the Scottish government asking for the emergency rules to be repealed. They said retaining the system was likely to lead to “a great many properties” being taken off the rental market and sold as owners will not want the additional hassle.
