Help for private tenants

In brief

Do you rent a property from a private landlord and have problems getting repairs done or antisocial tenants dealt with?

You now have more legal rights and can get assistance from the Council with everything from repairs to evictions.

 We can intervene where there is dampness, pest infestations, blocked drains or a lack of fire safety. With conditions harmful to your health, we can take steps to repair the problem and then charge the landlord or take them to court.

A new Private Rented Housing Panel (PRHP) can order your landlord to carry out the necessary repair work within a time limit.

 All landlords are now required to register with the Council. This information then becomes public record and can be found at www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk

Private landlords are also expected to take reasonable action to tackle antisocial behaviour. If they don’t, you can take the complaint to the Council. Letwise is a team set up to deal specifically with enquiries. Call 0131 529 7454 or visit www.letwise.gov.uk

Shelter also offers useful sample letters to assist tenants in communicating with landlords. These can be found at www.shelter.org.uk