Sharing rent information with the council as a private landlord
The local council can ask you for information about the rent you charge.
You can also be asked by a rent officer who works for Rent Service Scotland.
In future, it will become a legal requirement to give this information when asked. You could get a fine of up to £1,000 if you either do not give information or give false information.
Information you can be asked for
The council can ask for:
- the address of the property
- the type of tenancy or occupancy agreement the tenant has
- how much their rent is and how often they pay
- what costs are included in their rent – such as bills
- if you have increased their rent, the date of the last increase and what the previous rent was
- whether the property is a flat or a detached, semi-detached or terraced house
- about the rooms in the property, including the number of bedrooms
- how many storeys there are in the property
- the floor area of the property
- if the property is furnished
- if the property is sublet
- the quality, state of repair and energy efficiency for the property
The council can only ask for this information once every 12 months.
Why the council need this information
Councils must assess rent conditions in their area. Collecting this information can help them do this.
This will help the council make decisions about rent controls.
Sending rent information to Rent Service Scotland
You can also send rent information to Rent Service Scotland.
This helps them to set Local Housing Allowance rates and adjudicate on rent increases for private residential tenancies.