Rent increases: notice reminder and data request
Rent Service Scotland (RSS), the body which adjudicates on rent increase disputes for private residential tenancies (PRTs), has contacted SAL to advise that it is receiving a large percentage of invalid rent increase notices issued by landlords/agents. Examples include notices not on the prescribed form, not fully completed with missing data, unsigned, or issued via Whatsapp or text. Invalid increases are not enforceable so the landlord is required to start again with the rent increase notification. SAL’s factsheet on rent increases has links to the notice templates to use for rent increases on PRTs and older assured/short assured tenancies.
RSS is also seeking further rent data from landlords/letting agents. In recent months landlords and agents who have not assisted RSS previously have started to provide details of rents on their newly advertised properties and also their existing portfolios. This is a fantastic source of rent data and helps RSS’s data collection to be more representative and robust across all areas in Scotland, which in turns ensures that RSS can correctly assess the market rent in adjudication cases.
RSS is keen to receive more rent data from landlords and letting agents throughout Scotland. The rental property data and characteristics RSS requires are:
Full property address including postcode
The rental amount and frequency
Any service charges included
Property type
Number of bedrooms
Number of living rooms
Furnished/unfurnished/partially furnished
A new advertised letting/renewal/sitting tenant
Tenancy start date
The landlord details and registration number (this is optional and can be omitted if preferred)
RSS can accept data in any format including a spreadsheet or property management software output. For smaller scale landlords a simple email with the property details or a completed market evidence form is sufficient. Data can be emailed to rss.dundee@gov.scot.
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