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 private sector rents in Scotland of banning letting agent fees.

It is very difficult to understand the direct impact of the ban on fees on rental levels in Scotland since there are many different economic factors to take into account. Rents have risen on a cumulative basis no faster in Scotland since 2012 than in England and the sector remains healthy. According to ONS data, between 2012 and 2018, rents increased on average by 12 per cent in England compared to 6 per cent in Scotland.