By Lezanne Janse van Rensburg, 18th December
2009
With the recession still tightening its grip on the global
economy, tenants are hardest hit as they are being evicted from
their homes.
According to a survey done by Shelter Scotland, a charity
organisation advocating new housing laws and fighting for tenants'
rights, Scotland has witnessed an increase of 3 percent in
evictions over the last year. This brings the total number of
evictions in 2009 to almost 3,300.
This is cause for great concern and authorities have been urged
to reassess the rights of tenants and landlords regarding
evictions. Shelter Scotland has demanded that all social housing
tenants be granted the same rights as home-owners. The new
legislation will ensure that tenant's right to housing be
protected, preventing unnecessary evictions.
Scotland's housing minister has also urged
social as well as council landlords to respect the rights of
tenants by considering all possibilities before resorting to
evicting tenants.
Scotland's housing minister has also urged social as well as
council landlords to respect the rights of tenants by considering
all possibilities before resorting to evicting tenants.
The proposed adjustment in legislation would force landlords to
fulfill specific actions before taking their tenants to court for
eviction purposes. This will ensure the rights of tenants are
protected.
Shelter Scotland's recent proposal to provide protection for
tenants' rights comes after Stirling Council became the UK's first
council to grant legislative protection against eviction.
Glasgow Housing Association has also followed in Stirling's
footsteps in an attempt to strengthen tenants' rights. This
has resulted in a drastic drop of 24 percent in evictions.
Shelter Scotland's Gordon MacRae stated that providing legal
protection to tenants "would ensure eviction really is a last
resort."
"Evicting people and then housing them under homeless
legislation, at a cost to the taxpayer, is simply ludicrous,"
MacRae added.
Andrew Field, deputy chief executive at the Scottish Federation
of Housing Associations, said that the protection of tenants and
landlords' rights would make more economical sense. "Evictions for
rent arrears are not socially or economically beneficial to
anyone," Field said.
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