🎃 Title: When Politics Gets Spooky: What Landlords Must Provide in Scotland (and How to Stay Out of Trouble)

Sean McMahon
Oct 31
2 min read

It’s Halloween season — and for one high-profile landlord, things just got a little scary.

This week, Rachel Reeves, the UK Chancellor, made headlines after it emerged that her letting agency failed to secure the correct licence before renting out her flat. 👀

It’s a timely reminder for landlords across Scotland: even the most high-profile owners can get caught out if compliance slips through the cracks.

🏠 So, what are landlords in Scotland required to provide?

Every landlord must:

✅ Be registered with their local council.

✅ Ensure the property meets the Repairing Standard (safe, wind- and watertight, fit for habitation).

✅ Provide valid, up-to-date safety certificates:

EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report)
PAT (Portable Appliance Testing)
Gas Safety Certificate (if applicable)
✅ Have a Legionella Risk Assessment.
✅ Supply an EPC (Energy Performance Certificate).
✅ Fit linked smoke & heat alarms, and CO detectors where required.
✅ In some cases, hold a HMO Licence or Short-Term Let Licence.

✅ In some cases, an asbestos report is needed and additional security measures such as thumb-turn locks on exit doors and the addition of window restrictors.

Fail to do so, and the penalties can make your Halloween costume look tame — we’re talking fines, tribunal orders, or even bans from letting. A simple apology or blaming your existing letting agency doesn't usually cut it.

🧾 How The Letting Experts Edinburgh keeps it compliant (and calm):

We carry out a full compliance audit for every property we take on — checking:

All safety certificates are valid and correctly logged
Risk assessments are complete
Licence requirements are met and applications submitted
Tenancy documentation is fully compliant with the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 and new Housing Bill rules.