Landlord Legislation

Registration

It is an offence for private landlords in Scotland to let property without registering. The local authority must be satisfied that any Landlord is a ‘fit and proper person’, before registering them; please see the Scottish Landlord Register website for more details:  www.landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk

It is also a legal requirement for agents to be registered with the Scottish Government and Splendid Property Management’s letting agent registration number (LARN) is: 1904049

Tenant Deposit Scheme

All Landlords (or their agents) are required to transfer any tenant deposit taken to one of three Government backed Tenant Deposit Schemes.

If the property in question is under full management, SPM will transfer and deal with the administration required. If there are any disputes with the deposit at the end of a tenancy, the Deposit Scheme will appoint an arbitrator and make a ruling based on any evidence provided.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO’s)

Under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 Order 2000, an HMO property is one which is occupied by three or more unrelated people. Any properties which fall within this category must have a licence from the local authority. HMO’s which do not meet minimum standards will not receive a licence and it is an offence to operate without one (with large fines being payable).

For any new HMO applications, we suggest discussing with HMO Scotland with whom we have worked closely for many years. Splendid Property can assist with HMO renewals for our fully managed properties; please call the office to discuss. Please note that HMO regulations require more safety requirements, and associated certificates, than letting non-HMO property.