SFHA welcomes eviction notice period change for anti-social and criminal behaviour
Announcement made during Programme for Government
The Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA) has today welcomed the announcement by the Scottish Government that the notice period for evictions in the social housing sector on the grounds of anti-social and criminal behaviour will revert to one month from three, subject to parliamentary approval.
Sally Thomas, SFHA Chief Executive, said:
“SFHA has been calling for the notice period for evictions on the grounds of anti-social and criminal behaviour to revert to one month from three, so we are pleased the government has listened. The unintended consequence of the legislative change, introduced by the Coronavirus Scotland Act, was that other tenants and communities suffered as a result of the behaviour of some individuals. Some of our members were not able to let homes while the perpetrator of anti-social behaviour remained in place nearby – these properties could otherwise have provided homes for homeless households.
“It is vital that when there are cases of serious anti-social and criminal behaviour, social landlords can act quickly to minimise the effects on other tenants, so we welcome the government acknowledging this.”