Landlord Compliance Glasgow 2026 — Scotland Private Rented Sector Obligations

Private Residential Tenancy — Scotland's framework

All new tenancies in Scotland since 1 December 2017 must be Private Residential Tenancies (PRTs) under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. Key obligations for Glasgow landlords:

• Open-ended tenancy — no fixed term, no equivalent to England's Section 21 no-fault eviction (which was abolished in Scotland in 2017)
• Possession requires one of 18 statutory grounds in Schedule 3 of the 2016 Act — similar in structure to Scotland's equivalent of Ground 1 (landlord's own use), Ground 9 (need to sell), or grounds relating to rent arrears and anti-social behaviour
• Landlord's notice period: 28 days for tenancies under 6 months; 84 days for tenancies of 6 months or more
• Rent increase: 3 months' written notice required using a prescribed form; tenant can refer increase to First-tier Tribunal for Scotland
• Tenancy agreement must be the Scottish Government model or equivalent — a single written document is required by law
• Deposits must be protected in a Scottish Government-approved scheme (SafeDeposits Scotland, myDeposits Scotland, or Letting Protection Service Scotland) within 30 working days

Mandatory Landlord Registration

All private landlords letting property in Scotland must be registered under the Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004. Glasgow City Council administers registration within Glasgow, but registration is national:

• Register at landlordregistrationscotland.gov.uk before letting any property in Glasgow
• Registration covers the landlord (individual or company) and each let property
• Registration fee applies; currently around £65 per landlord plus a per-property fee
• Registration must be renewed every 3 years
• Glasgow City Council actively checks registration — unregistered landlords are referred for investigation
• Letting an unregistered property is a criminal offence with a fine of up to £50,000
• Any letting agent must hold a valid Letting Agent Registration and comply with the Letting Agent Code of Practice (Scotland) 2016

The Repairing Standard

The Repairing Standard under the Housing (Scotland) Acts 2006 and 2014 sets minimum property conditions that all private landlords in Scotland must meet from the start of the tenancy and throughout:

• Property must be wind and watertight and reasonably fit for human habitation
• Structure and exterior must be in reasonable repair
• Installations for space heating, water heating, sanitation, cooking, and electricity/gas supply must be in reasonable repair and working order
• Interlinked smoke alarms required in every habitable room, plus a heat alarm in the kitchen and a CO alarm wherever there is a carbon-fuelled appliance — this requirement was extended to all private rented properties in 2021
• Tenants can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) if a landlord fails to meet the Repairing Standard — the Tribunal can issue a Repairing Standard Enforcement Order
• The Tribunal can also order rent reduction or compensation for ongoing breaches

Gas and electrical safety

Gas and electrical safety requirements apply to all Glasgow rental properties:

• Annual Gas Safety Check by a Gas Safe registered engineer — Gas Safety Certificate (CP12) to be provided to tenants before occupation and renewed annually
• Five-yearly EICR (Electrical Installation Condition Report) by a competent person — new tenants must receive a copy before they move in
• All Code C1 (immediate danger) and C2 (potentially dangerous) defects must be remedied within 28 days of the EICR
• Portable Appliance Testing (PAT) is not legally mandatory in Scotland but is good practice for appliances provided by the landlord
• Carbon monoxide alarms: required in all rooms with carbon-fuelled appliances under both Scottish and UK-wide regulations

HMO licensing — Glasgow City Council

Glasgow City Council administers Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMO) licensing. Glasgow applies mandatory HMO licensing to all properties with 3 or more unrelated persons — a lower threshold than England's mandatory 5-person trigger:

• Glasgow mandatory HMO threshold: 3 or more persons from 2 or more households sharing facilities
• Apply to Glasgow City Council for an HMO licence — separate from Landlord Registration
• HMO licence lasts up to 3 years; conditions include fire safety, minimum room sizes, cooking and sanitary facilities
• Glasgow City Council's HMO Licensing Team carries out inspections before licence issuance and during the licence period
• Operating an unlicensed HMO in Scotland is a criminal offence — unlimited fine, and tenants can seek a Rent Repayment Order
• Glasgow has designated areas of higher HMO concentration where additional planning restrictions on HMO conversions apply

Glasgow City Council selective licensing

Glasgow City Council operates additional selective licensing in targeted areas as part of its Private Rented Sector strategy:

• Glasgow operates targeted licensing in areas of low demand and anti-social behaviour concern — check GCC's website for currently designated areas
• Selective licensing requires all landlords in a designated area to hold a council licence regardless of property size or occupancy
• Licence conditions typically include property management standards, tenant referencing requirements, and ASB management procedures
• Annual inspections may be carried out in selective licensing areas
• Operating without a required selective licence is a criminal offence with a fine of up to £50,000

Tenancy deposit protection

Tenancy deposit rules for Glasgow landlords differ from England and Wales:

• All deposits must be protected in a Scottish Government-approved scheme within 30 working days of the tenancy start
• Approved schemes: SafeDeposits Scotland, myDeposits Scotland, Letting Protection Service Scotland
• Prescribed Information must be provided to the tenant within 30 working days
• No statutory deposit cap in Scotland — standard practice is up to 2 months' rent
• Failure to protect: tenant can apply to the First-tier Tribunal for a penalty of up to 3 times the deposit amount
• Deposit must be returned within one month of the tenancy ending, unless there is a dispute

EPC requirements

Energy Performance Certificate rules for Glasgow rental properties:

• Minimum EPC Band E required for all private rented properties in Scotland under the Energy Efficiency (Domestic Private Rented Property) (Scotland) Regulations 2020
• Properties at EPC F or G cannot be let — maximum civil penalty £5,000 per breach
• EPC must be commissioned from an accredited Scottish EPC assessor and uploaded to the Scottish EPC Register
• Scotland has announced EPC Band C as a target for all new private rented tenancies from 2028
• Glasgow's tenement stock (primarily 1880s–1930s red sandstone and blonde sandstone) presents insulation challenges — solid wall insulation may be required to reach Band C

Frequently asked questions