The Scottish government has just introduced an immediate rent freeze for both social tenants and private renters, as well as a freeze on all evictions.
The freeze will last until next spring, with Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon saying that the move was part of plans to deal with the humanitarian emergency caused by soaring energy bills and cost-of-living prices.
Scotland’s tenants union, Living Rent, described the measure as a “huge win that would not have been possible without years of organising by members.”
Sturgeon said that the government does not have the power to stop energy bills from rising, but they can take action to ensure that rent does not rise.
Looking at the local context, research published in June of 2022 showed that housing prices doubled since 2013 in Malta. Young couples could only afford apartments that around 115 square metres, with singles struggling to afford to purchase property.
The research was carried out by Grant Thornton and Dhalia, which showed that a property which sold for €100,000 in 2013 H1 would be selling at €200,000 in 2022.
Rental price specifically was reported to have gone up by some 42% over the nine year period. Should the Maltese government introduce a scheme similar to Scotland’s?
The Scottish freeze scheme is facing opposition from property investors who are also facing living costs on the rise as well. However, it does seem as though London’s mayor Sadiq Khan is intrigued by the idea, having proposed a freeze on rents as well some time before.
#MaltaDaily
