Andrew Watson – Blog – Rural & Islands Landlord Group meeting – 21 May 2025
We held the sixth meeting of the Rural & Islands landlord group on 21 May 2025. This is one of the three standing groups of senior people from Registered Social Landlords we meet with regularly to discuss important and topical issues in social housing in Scotland. We meet with the groups to help us understand the challenges faced by those we regulate.
The group began its discussion by reflecting on the reality of one year of the declaration of a national housing emergency. The members recognised that the declaration had put housing higher on the political agenda, but felt that it was difficult to identify significant progress in tackling the array of challenges, most of which are still evident. The group’s members expressed frustration at a tendency to look for “quick-fixes” and at the absence of a clear national plan, that would address necessary longer-term changes to the overall housing system and shorter and medium-term actions to mitigate the most immediate and acute issues.
While all were clear that building more homes is central to tackling the problems we face, the group members felt it is important to recognise that this will take time. This means that it is just as important to discuss, at national and local levels, what actions other than building will help relieve the current pressures. It was also important to recognise that the housing emergency is not restricted to the social housing; this is particularly the case in rural areas and islands, and the example was highlighted of how the availability of too few homes in the private rented sector in Shetland is having a significant impact on the overall supply of homes.
Members expressed continuing concern about the range of challenges and barriers to building more homes. The ongoing difficult economic conditions, new and unplanned for costs, contractor availability, challenging sites, ever-increasing building standards, reductions in homes from section 75 agreements, together with delays in planning, consents and utility connections are limiting landlords’ ability to build homes. In some areas, grant levels are not enough to ensure rents are affordable. One member highlighted that the cost of building a new home has doubled over the last eight years. At the same time, members highlighted the risk that an over focus on new supply could put at risk landlords’ ability to maintain the quality of existing homes and sustain existing communities.
Having recognised the need for national strategic leadership in the response to the housing emergency, group members emphasised the importance of local solutions to local problems and challenges, and that local people and communities were best placed to generate these solutions. Members felt that this would be facilitated by greater flexibility in policy, planning and funding at both local and national levels of government.
The discussion then touched on the Housing Bill currently in Parliament. The general view was that, given the number and range of amendments that have been lodged, the aims and scope of the Bill are becoming less clear with increased potential for unintended consequences and potentially contradictory provisions.
The turn off starting in June this year of the Radio Teleswitching Signal (RTS), which switches electricity meters between different tariff rates at different times of the day, remains a significant concern for the group members. Most have homes that have not yet had smart meters installed, and so still rely on the RTS. Members voiced concern about the uncoordinated approach by energy suppliers who are responsible for installing smart meters, and about potentially significant additional costs to landlords of wider work that may be needed to facilitate smart meters.
The discussion finished on the group’s views about the effectiveness of SHR’s engagement and relationship with landlords and what, if anything, it could do to improve this. The Group members said that SHR’s current approach was broadly the right one and that they valued participating in the Landlord Group. All of the members of the Group were particularly positive about their direct engagement with their lead regulator, saying the relationship was effective and that they felt supported and that they were able to discuss any issue with confidence.
As I will step down from the SHR Board in June, this was my final meeting with the discussion group. It’s been an absolute privilege for me to Chair this group and I’ve learnt a lot along the way. The issues that the group has to deal with are manifest and it’s been so valuable to have the level of feedback and informed discussion that result from these meetings. I leave you in Ewan’s safe hands.