by Aoife Deery CAS Housing spokesperson.

This article was first published in The Herald on 4th July 2026.

If you’re a tenant or a landlord, do you know your rights and responsibilities? 

For people like Zarah (not her real name) the answer wasn’t clear until something went wrong. Zarah came to her local Citizens Advice Bureau after discovering at the end of her tenancy that her landlord did not lodge her deposit correctly and is refusing to return it. Zarah is anxious about losing her money and the prospect of having to take legal action to get her deposit back and enforce her rights.  

Change is underway in the private rented sector (PRS) in Scotland to strengthen tenant protections. Demand for PRS advice from our network is up - more than 22% from this time last year, with advisers reporting examples of poor practice from landlords. But this demand may indicate that tenants are becoming more aware of their rights and feel more confident in seeking help when things go wrong. 

To build on this growing rights awareness and turn it into lasting fairness, a national PRS strategy is needed to set clear, consistent standards, strengthen enforcement, and ensure reliable routes to redress for tenants and landlords across Scotland. The PRS is a key part of our housing system, offering variety and flexibility. A strategy could look at the sector’s future size, its role as a stepping-stone or a long-term home, and the support needed to deliver high standards. 

This would give tenants, landlords and local authorities the confidence to all move in the same direction. With a strong strategy, the sector can evolve with purpose, improve outcomes, and play a constructive role in Scotland’s wider housing system. 

One of the key areas where action is needed is landlord training. Scotland currently lacks a consistent and mandatory approach, and although some local authorities and housing bodies offer elements of it, provision remains uneven. Anyone can acquire a home and rent it out without the knowledge needed to do so responsibly. 

We need a national approach to landlord training that safeguards tenants and ensures every landlord meets the standards required for safe, high‑quality housing. There can be no excuse for poor practice and there must be effective enforcement against this, including fines and removal from the landlord register. 

A solid grounding in rights and responsibilities is essential to build a system that works for all of us. There is already precedent for mandatory landlord training in other parts of the UK, like the Rent Smart scheme in Wales. Last year’s evaluation of the scheme showed that the training had a positive impact on practices and housing conditions, and this approach could easily be adopted in Scotland.  

The new Scottish Government has a significant opportunity to make meaningful progress on our many housing challenges, and improving the private rented sector must be a top priority. We call on the Scottish Government to professionalise the private rented sector by mandating high-quality training for all landlords.  

This must be a key part of an overall positive vision and strategy for the PRS that promotes good practice for landlords and protects tenants rights.

Everyone in Scotland should have a safe, secure and sustainable home and with ever more people calling the private rented sector home, the Scottish Government must urgently turn this vision into a reality. 

Read our latest Home Truths briefing here.