From: {Redacted} SG Sent: 10 June 2020 10:14 To: {Redacted} shelter. {Redacted} CAS; {Redacted} Dundee City Council {Redacted} Propertymark; {Redacted} Glasgow City Council;; John Blackwood {Redacted}SAL; {Redacted} Cosla; {Redacted}; {Redacted} Alacho Cc: {Redacted} SG Subject: note of the meeting of the PRS resilience group 27 May  Dear All Please find attached the note of the meeting of the PRS resilience group from our last meeting on 27 May. Apologies for not sending this with the other papers for the meeting Regards {Redacted} Better Homes Division,  Scottish Government Housing and Social Justice {Redacted}  PRS RESILIENCE GROUP VIRTUAL MEETING: 27 May 2020 Meeting Agenda  Note of last meeting  Coronavirus (Scotland)(No.2) Bill – Update  Update on the Landlord Support Fund  PRS Resilience Group Action Log  What does recovery look like  Stakeholder Update - Issues/Concerns  AOB In attendance:  {Redacted}, Citizen Advice Scotland (CAS)  {Redacted}. Shelter Scotland  {Redacted}, Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL)  {Redacted}, Propertymark  {Redacted}, Glasgow City Council  {Redacted} Shelter Scotland  {Redacted}, SG Apologies  {Redacted}, ALACHO  {Redacted}, COSLA  {Redacted}, SG  {Redacted}, Dundee City Council  {Redacted}, Shelter Scotland 1. Note of previous meeting The group agreed to amend the note of the previous meeting as follows: ‘Noted some concerns being expressed by landlords with 6-10 properties and over 10 properties who are not eligible for funds. SG is keen to build up a picture of need in the sector, so any landlords that are outwith the scheme can contact the loan fund mailbox to set out their circumstances. To add ‘It was also noted that that only a very small number are likely to be affected while the Scottish Government is working hard to consider which issues to prioritise at this difficult time’. Otherwise the group was content with the note of the meeting. 2. Coronavirus (Scotland) (no 2) Bill – update The Corona Virus Scotland) (no 2) bill was given Royal Assent on 26 May 2020 and came into force on 27 May 2020. The notice periods for student accommodation have been amended to seven days and 28 days respectively for University Halls of Residence and purpose built student accommodation from 27 May 2020. There is a new measure in the Act allowing regulation making power to lay affirmative regulations for pre action protocols that PRS landlords should take prior to taking eviction action. SG is developing a timetable and will discuss with the group how best to engage with stakeholders. Shelter requested as much notice as possible for stakeholder input. {Redacted} SG confirmed that landlords do not need to follow pre action protocols yet as the regulations are not in place in response to a query from Propertymark. Transition arrangements where tenants have already been given notice will be considered as part of the regulations. The Action log on Council tax has been updated. If the group has specific queries about Council Tax, SG can direct these to Council Tax colleagues. {Redacted} SG will pass the Chair of the PRS resilience group to {Redacted} from the next meeting. Yvonne will also manage work related to the Fair Rents Bill. Any queries from the group can be directed to {Redacted} SG or {Redacted} SG . Action 1: Charlotte will circulate wording on notice periods for student accommodation for the group to disseminate. 3. Landlord support Fund Update {Redacted} SG updated the group on progress of the landlord support group. There were 49 completed applications being processed, four offers were issued and 3 loans were paid as at 22 May 2020. There were also 168 partial applications in the system. Over 60% of applications are for void properties and a smaller amount are for rent issues. More than half the applications are from landlords with only 1 property. Overall 50% of applications come from Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen, but otherwise applications are from across the country. The group discussed where vacancies arose, SAL thought that vacancies in PRS properties had occurred across the board. Shelter thought that there could be a lag in rent arrears because of furlough, once furlough ends arrears could rise. Shelter will continue to feed in from their side. SG has also received some feedback from landlords with more than 5 properties. Action 2: {Redacted} SG to ask EST if they can drill down into the information on the application for a loan, e.g., number of bedrooms and property type. 4. PRS Resilience Group Action Log Updates Action Point 3: There is a Home restart and recovery working group with a focus on getting the property market moving. The group is looking at what guidance might be needed going forward prior to phase 2 of lockdown. CAS asked whether links are being made between discussions on stimulus of the market and the social sector, particularly on vulnerable people. Agreed to ask a member of the homelessness team to the next meeting. Action Point 5: HMO licensing – still waiting on legal advice on extensions to licensing. Glasgow noted that there is UK guidance but no current SG guidance on extending HMO licences and inspections. They are happy to share their information with other local authorities. Action Point 9: SG will continue to engage with Police Scotland on any harassment issues and pass on any feedback from CAS and Shelter. Action Point 12: {Redacted} SG updated the group on data from Registers of Scotland (RoS). Landlord registrations are down in March and April from previous years. This could mean that landlords are not registering while a property is void or that they have left the market. There is a small local authority working group, noted that most local authorities are working on PRS issued as normal, other than only visiting properties in an emergency. Action Point 14: {Redacted} SG will circulate information on non-domestic rates and letting agents once he receives it. SAL has been in contact with SG non –domestic rates colleagues to discuss possible confusion in the guidance on the eligibility of letting agents for non – domestic rates relief. Action Point 16: SG will continue to make appropriate links with other working groups on developing guidance as overall Covid -19 guidelines change. Action Point 17: Complete. Access to the PRS landlord loan discussed in update. Action Point 18: Ongoing concern about arrears and end of furlough in addition need to consider in the guidance how landlords can let a vacant room in shared accommodation (this is not covered at the moment). Consider what is required in the guidance to allow the most needy to be able to take up accommodation. For example, construction workers returning in phase 1 may need accommodation, whereas moving home is considered in phase 2. Action Point 19: Discussed what specific information local authorities are looking for in the Guidance on HMO licensing. SG will seek a steer from lawyers and feed back to the group. Action Point 20: Complete. Awaiting draft of the COSLA toolkit for tenant support. Action Point 21: Complete. SG to respond to concerns raised by Dundee and Shelter on concerns about letting agents putting pressure on students to agree to pay re advertising costs if they give up a tenancy early. Action Point 22: This will feed into the discussion on homelessness. Action Point 23: Rent guarantee insurance is a reserved issue. SG will discuss with the UK government and consider our approach. Action Point 24: COSLA has circulated the tenant support toolkit. Shelter noted that it was important for tenants to have parity of support and information. Look at how best to get information to tenants and in the best way. The group can look at this once we see the toolkit from COSLA. 5. What does recovery look like? {Redacted} SG Deputy Director for Better Homes, spoke about the recently published routemap. SG is looking at what the recovery framework might look like in housing. There is a focus on housing resilience groups to inform Ministerial decision making. The principles are:  Suppression of the spread of the virus, and any changes should only have a minimal rise of R and also aim to minimise wider harms.  Build back better – improve opportunities for example for homeless people and victims of domestic abuse.  Clear consistent national structure with a consistent message that recognises local needs. Priorities are to start letting and moving, wider housing support and to restart homebuilding. There will be progress towards guidance and a clear statement of intent as soon as possible. Action 3: SG will circulate slides of {Redacted} SG presentation. {Redacted} SG would welcome written responses and comments on the presentation. Stakeholder update CAS reported that they are seeing more rent arrears cases from the PRS. Due to time constraints there were no further stakeholder updates, any emerging issues should be e mailed to the SG PRS team. 6. AOB The next meeting will be held on Wednesday 10 June at 2 – 3.30 pm