Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the effect on letting agencies in Scotland of the Scottish Parliament's legislating to make letting agent fees illegal.

The ban on letting fees in Scotland was clarified in 2012. The private rented sector in Scotland has continued to grow and in 2016 made up 15 per cent of households compared with 13 per cent in the 2012 Scottish Household Survey. The Scottish Government estimate the number of letting agents currently operating in Scotland is around 1,700. This demonstrates that good and innovative agents will continue to have a market in which to thrive.