The First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon has announced a rent and rail freeze, as well as an eviction ban to help families through the cost of living crisis.

Sturgeon confirmed today that the Scottish government will take “immediate action” to protect tenants in the private and social rented sectors.

She said: “I can announce that we will shortly introduce emergency legislation to parliament. The purpose of the emergency law will be two-fold.

“Firstly, it will aim to give people security about the roof over their heads this winter through a moratorium on evictions.

“Secondly, the legislation will include measures to deliver a rent freeze.”

Sturgeon added: “The Scottish government does not have the power to stop your energy bills soaring, but we can and will take action to ensure that your rent does not rise.

“By definition, these are temporary measures, but they will provide much needed security for many during what will be a difficult winter.”

It is expected that the measures will be in place until at least 31 March 2023, while the rent freeze will apply from today.

“Easy option of attacking landlords”

John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), said he is meeting with the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights tonight (Patrick Harvie MSP), to “demand more details of what these measures will entail” as “members are rightly very concerned about this announcement”.

He said that since rumours of this announcement broke this morning, SAL has been inundated by landlords saying they will be removing their vacant properties from the rental market, adding “and I don’t blame them.”

Blackwood said: “Who on earth is going to let a property when they know tenants can simply choose not to pay rent or commit anti-social behaviour and there is nothing they can do about it? Landlords will not let a property in the knowledge that they will be unable to meet their own financial and maintenance obligations if their tenants don’t pay the rent or their outgoings increase.

“The Scottish government fails to grasp the reality of Scotland’s housing crisis and has chosen the easy option of attacking landlords which will only further reduce the supply of housing, putting more people at risk. This is not a solution, it will only cause more hardship.

“Despite reassurances from Scottish ministers that they value the role private landlords play in provided much needed housing, we are astounded that once again they have chosen to attack landlords at a time when they should be encouraging landlords and tenants to work together to overcome financial hardship.”

The National Residential Landlord Association (NRLA) which operates in England and Wales said it does not expect a similar announcement in England.