SNP’s first refusal housing pledge will not fix broken system, Anas Sarwar says

Speaking as he launched his party’s battle bus in Glasgow ahead of the May election, Mr Sarwar said many renters in Scotland feel they have been “forgotten about” by the SNP Government.

It came after First Minister John Swinney announced plans to introduce legislation to bring in the change if the SNP secures another term in power.

This would mean if a landlord decides to put a property on the market, tenants would be given a period of first refusal to buy it “at a fair market rate”, Mr Swinney said.

But Mr Sarwar criticised the idea, claiming it would not fix the problem.

“The record that they can’t run away from is the fact that on their watch, rough sleeping has increased by 66%.

“We’ll take action to drive down the cost of rent and mortgages, and we’ll make sure we have a housing system that works for every part of our country, because I think a lots of communities feel that they’re forgotten about by this SNP Government.”
Speaking to MFR radio in Inverness , the First Minister said the policy would mean Scots who were renting “for a long time” would “have a chance to get on the property ladder”.

He said: “It’s just about giving a bit more opportunity for renters who’ve been committed to individual properties to have a chance of acquiring that property should it come on the market.”
Mr Swinney said he wanted the move to be “an opportunity that works well for both landlords and also for renters”.

He added: “Landlords, of course, have got the right to sell their property, but I’m simply trying to change the balance a bit to give long-term renters more of an opportunity to be able to purchase the properties that they’re living in, and to do that at an affordable and reasonable level.

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“We’ve got to make sure that we consult widely about how to put that into practice but the principle of it, I think, is one that will be attractive to both landlords and renters, because landlords will be able to sell their properties and renters will be able to buy them if they have the opportunity to do so.”