NEW housing laws would force vulnerable residents to give evidence against anti-social neighbours at 'eviction tribunals’ to have the problems addressed, landlords have warned.
Letting agents claim the proposed legislation could see residents forced to put up with unruly behaviour if they are not prepared publicly speak out against their neighbours and limits the scope for landlords to deal with bad tenants.
Voicing "deep concern" about measures in the Scottish Government's Private Housing (Tenancies) Bill, the organisation representing private sector landlords said removing the right to tell a tenant to leave a property when their lease expired could have a major impact on community relations.
The legislation, described as the biggest change in the sector in a generation is aimed at improving security of tenure for tenants, but Scottish Association of Landlords said anti-social behaviour would be much more difficult to tackle.
John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords, said: "The people often most affected by anti-social behaviour are those in vulnerable groups such as older people who could feel threatened by a neighbour.
"They may be less likely to publicly complain, let alone be willing to take part in what is a formal legal process."
At present, landlords generally give tenants two months’ notice at the end of their tenancy if they want them out of the property, what is known in the sector as a 'no fault' clause.
If passed, the Bill will introduce a new kind of tenancy agreement under which landlords will no longer be able to ask tenants to leave simply because a tenancy has reached its end date.
Instead, they must use one of 16 specified grounds for repossession, which include intending to sell or anti-social behaviour.
If a tenant does not leave the property after being given notice, the landlord will have to apply to a tribunal to have them evicted.
Evidence would be required to be submitted, meaning those affected by anti-social behaviour would need to recount to a tribunal how they have been affected.
A total of 56 letting agents, representing the landlords of 16,620 properties, have signed a statement objecting to the proposals ahead of a National Landlord Day event at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh.
A Scottish Government spokesman said: "The newBill provides new grounds to evict tenants that engage in anti-social behaviour or have a relevant criminal conviction so landlords will be able to use this to deal with anti-social behaviour if necessary.
"The bill will introduce a modern tenancy to make it a more professionally managed and better regulated sector that provides good quality homes and is attractive to those who want to live, work and invest in it."
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