News archives
Cannabis farm warning
Since we issued cannabis farm warnings in enews back in January and April 2025, more SAL members have been in touch about properties that have been used as cannabis farms. Police Scotland have recently arrested 36 individuals in raids on Vietnamese crime gangs linked...
Registering for Self Assessment: HMRC answers your questions
The 5 October deadline to tell HMRC if you need to complete a Self Assessment tax return is approaching. To avoid any misunderstanding you may have about what needs to be reported, HMRC has provided us with answers to common questions to help you get your tax right....
SAL in the media – September 2026
09/09/2026 – Property 118 – Scottish landlords can still take control of their future in the PRS
Awaab’s Law government guidance published
The Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026, commonly referred to as “Awaab’s Law”, will come into force on 6 October 2026. From this date, social and private landlords in Scotland will be required to investigate reports...
Landlord Voice – episode 13 now available
Episode 13 – Why an accountant is an essential part of being a professional landlord? Hosts John Blackwood and Alan Grant are back after the summer with a new episode of Landlord Voice, the podcast from the Scottish Association of Landlords. In this episode,...
Plug-in solar panels
With new legislation allowing plug-in solar panels to be sold in the UK, some tenants may be wishing to install one in their home. For information on how plug-in solar panels work and what to consider before installing one, see guidance on the Energy Saving Trust’s...
New suggested additional tenancy terms
SAL has amended it’s suggested additional tenancy terms including adding terms related to plug-in solar panels and e-bikes/e-scooters. The latest version of the terms can be found in the resources section of the SAL website here (you should log into the SAL website...
SAL in the media – July and August 2026
See the latest news articles featuring SAL in the media: 27/08/2026 – Press & Journal – Tribunal delays are evicting landlords from the Scottish rental market 21/07/2026 – Elite Agent – Up to 12 months for a hearing: Scotland’s...
EPC reform update
Earlier this year, the Scottish Government announced an indefinite delay to the introduction of new style EPCs in Scotland. These were due to be introduced on 31 October 2026 but because of UK government delays with the introduction of the methodology which will be...
Buy-to-let market update – August 2026
By: Doug Hall, director, 3mc Welcome to ‘Buy-to-let market’, a column aimed at providing you with recent criteria and product updates within the buy-to-let (BTL) lending markets. Note, any product update reflects the lenders most recent update, rather than all updates...