What do lower income tenants in Scotland's private rented sector want to see from a new Rented Sector: Emergent findings briefing

The private rented sector (PRS) is now home to one in seven Scottish households. The sector has grown significantly over the last 15 years and now houses a diverse population, including families with children, low-income and other vulnerable groups, many of whom face difficulties in accessing other tenures (Cole et al., 2016; McKee et al., 2020; Soaita et al., 2020). The Scottish Government has committed to publishing a new Rented Sector Strategy, that is informed by renters, and which will then inform a new Housing Bill in 2022. The Joseph Rowntree Foundation in partnership with the Scottish Government have commissioned us to undertake a research project to explore what people living on a low income want to see from further reform to the private rented sector in Scotland. The purpose of this briefing is to provide a summary of emergent findings from the first phase of this research project to support policymakers at the Scottish Government in the drafting of the Rented Sector Strategy.