Scotland’s landlords are calling on the next Scottish Government to adopt a dedicated strategy for the private rented sector, arguing that years of policy uncertainty have weakened investor confidence and made the housing shortage harder to fix.
The Scottish Association of Landlords has used its 2026 election manifesto to urge all parties to recognise the sector’s role in Scotland’s housing mix. SAL said a formal strategy should sit alongside wider reforms including changes to the Additional Dwelling Supplement and tenement law.
SAL says policy clarity is needed to stem landlord exits
SAL argues that the private rented sector has been treated as a political problem rather than a core part of housing supply. Its warning is that without a clearer framework, fewer landlords will invest, existing owners will continue to leave and pressure on tenants will intensify.
John Blackwood, chief executive of the Scottish Association of Landlords, said the next government must create a transparent, workable and effective strategy that values the role of the private rented sector if it wants to increase investment and stem the flow of landlords leaving the market.
The timing matters. Scotland heads towards an election with rent controls, tax and supply all still heavily contested. SAL’s intervention is not just another lobbying document – it is a sign that landlord groups think the political direction of travel is still discouraging capital from entering the sector.
This follows Residential Landlord’s report on Scotland exempting build to rent from rent controls, which showed ministers were willing to draw distinctions within the sector when investment was at risk. It also sits alongside Residential Landlord’s coverage of record Scottish property tax receipts, highlighting how heavily landlords already contribute through transaction taxes. SAL’s full case is set out in its election call for a dedicated private rented sector strategy.
Election pressure will keep landlords in the firing line
For landlords, the question is whether any party is willing to offer a stable long-term settlement rather than another short-term political fix. Calls to abolish the Additional Dwelling Supplement will appeal to investors, but the bigger issue is whether Holyrood can stop sending mixed signals on ownership, profitability and regulation.
The warning for ministers is straightforward. If they continue to talk about housing supply while treating private landlords as expendable, they should expect less investment and tighter rental availability. Scotland has already seen how quickly confidence can fall when regulation moves faster than the market can adapt.
A dedicated strategy would not solve every problem, but it would at least force the next government to spell out what role it wants the sector to play.
Opinion
Scottish ministers cannot keep asking the private sector to house more people while making investment look optional. SAL is right to demand a clear strategy. Without one, policy will keep drifting and the supply problem will keep getting worse.
