Social and private sector tenants have been given protection during the Covid-19 crisis.
Charities have welcomed a ban on evictions from the private and social rented sector for six months amid the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.
Communities secretary Aileen Campbell confirmed the move on Tuesday, saying “nobody, as a result of their ability to cope with this pandemic, should lose their house”.
It comes after the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations confirmed that no housing association tenant would be evicted while the crisis is ongoing.
Ms Cambell told MSPs: “There should be no eviction as a result of Covid.
“Our emergency legislation will have provisions to ensure there can be no evictions from the private rented sector or social rented sector for six months.”
The new legislation has been welcomed by charities representing and supporting tenants in Scotland.
Citizens Advice Scotland’s social justice spokesperson Mhoraig Green said: "This is another necessary and very welcome step by the Scottish Government, which will protect tenants through the period of the Covid-19 crisis.
"Making people homeless at this time makes no sense in social, economic or public health terms. We are sure that the vast majority of private landlords would agree and would not be looking to evict their tenants, but this law will stop the small minority who might have done.”
David Hanson from Living Rent said the announcement represented a “brilliant win” for tenants in Scotland.
“It was always an absurd prospect that tenants could be threatened with eviction during a global pandemic, and this announcement from the Scottish Government is extremely welcome,” he said.
“It is now crucial that we also ensure that tenants are not driven into enormous debts over the course of the pandemic. When workplaces shut their doors, tenants who were already struggling to make ends meet simply will not be able to pay their rent.
“The government must, as a matter of urgency, guarantee these people the protections we need and have these rents written off.
“Living Rent will continue to vigorously pressure the Scottish Government for further tenant protections.”
He added: “As well as these emergency measures, this pandemic has underlined just how precarious life has become for far too many tenants.
“For many of us across Scotland, we have always only ever been one or two paychecks away from poverty.
“Once this is over, we cannot just go back to normal: the government has got to take serious action on sky-high rents.”
