Tenants share horror stories from time renting in Scotland

A new survey of Scottish renters has revealed why relationships between landlords and their tenants are bubbling ever closer to boiling point.

Scotland’s private rented sector grew at a faster rate than anywhere else in the UK last year, but new data shows Scottish tenants’ renting experiences are less than rewarding.

In the wake of this news, bathroom retailer 1 Click Bathrooms asked 500 Scots to share some of their biggest bugbears from their time renting a property in Scotland - and the results are in.

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Above all else, Scots are concerned they’re being swindled by their landlords - with unexplained or unexpected rent increases coming out on top.

Physical property damage also scored highly in the survey - suggesting Scots may be rightfully affronted at rent increases, in the face of so many outstanding repairs.

Paying dues and reporting disrepair

Renters across Scotland are paying what they consider an unfair monthly premium for their properties - with 38% of survey respondents saying they’ve been subject to rising rent prices during their time in the private rented sector. Two million UK tenants could see their rent increase this year as a result of new government regulations, and women in Scotland are especially and unfortunately used to this change in circumstances - with 45% reporting a history of repeated rent inflation. Mould, damp and leaks are also a source of stress for Scotland’s renting population, 27% of whom said they’ve come to blows with their landlord as a result of property damage - as well as half of all 18-24 year olds surveyed.

A failure to communicate

Some of Scotland’s landlord-tenant relationships are suffering due to communication breakdowns - with 26% of participants citing too much or too little contact from their landlord as a cause of tension.

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Faulty appliances in the home are also creating friction for Scottish tenants, according to 18% of those surveyed - a persistent problem estimated to result in more than 60 house fires every week in the UK.

Burdens and bombshells

‘Revenge evictions’ are rampant across the UK - and 5% of Scots revealed they’ve been the victim of early eviction or termination during their time as renters, shedding light on the prevalence of these crimes against tenants.

Landlords have other surprises for Scottish tenants, too - with 3% of respondents complaining they’ve been ambushed by landlords arriving at their property completely out of the blue.

While Scotland looks to be the only area of the UK where the private rental market is on the up, this survey shows that relationships between many landlords and their tenants are nearing breaking point.

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Which of the following issues have you experienced while renting a property?

Rent increases: 37.6%

Mould/leaks: 26.7%

Not enough/too much correspondence: 26.3%

Faulty appliances: 18.4%

Early eviction/termination: 4.9%

Unexpected landlord visits: 3.1%

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