It will have its own identity, but a key strength will be that it is part of a UK-wide trade body that represents landlords across the country at national, regional and European level.

The private-rented sector accounts for about 8% of households in Scotland. The recent Scottish Green Paper mentions the goal of balancing safeguards for tenants’ interests and setting the right conditions to enable the sector to contribute fully to the provision of housing. NLA Scotland has welcomed this approach and looks forward to contributing to this and other such consultations.

David Salusbury, chairman of the NLA, said: “The launch of NLA Scotland is a critical development for the private-rented sector in Scotland. The NLA is the largest association of its kind in the UK and we will now be offering an increasing number of services to our Scottish landlord members including specific advice, policy support and information.

“Nowadays, there are a wide range of issues which impact on landlords up and down the country and this development seeks to serve our Scottish members even more as they meet these challenges.”