Rent freezes across Scotland have ended – and tenants in Fife can expect to see rent increases in both social and private sectors. 

Council tenants' rents are rising by five per cent this month.

Private sector tenants will also be in line for increases as landlords will be able to give three months' notice for a rise. However, the Scottish Government has capped these increases at three per cent until the end of September. 

Meg Bishop, a member of Scotland’s tenants’ union Living Rent,said: “The end of the rent freeze is pretty catastrophic.

“The cost of living crisis is absolutely far from over and the fact that the rent freeze is coming to an end when none of the problems that caused it to be necessary have ended is going to be disastrous.” 

Living Rent believes the rent cap is not enough, and the union has fielded a lot of concerns about the changes. 

“People are worried – three per cent might not sound like a lot, but it is for people who are already on a fine line who are living pay cheque to pay cheque,” she said. 

However, Ms Bishop reported that landlords believe the current restrictions are to strict and infringe on their right to profit. 

But she emphasised that Living Rent is fighting for tenants rights, and fighting for rent controls to help people who are struggling to make ends meet. 

“The three per cent cap is not good enough. Rent prices need to come down,” she said. 

Fife Council has approved five per cent rent increase for council tenants.

The increase is two per cent higher than the private sector rent cap, but Meg Bishop, a member of Scotland’s tenants’ union Living Rent, said the cap does not apply to local authorities. 

“There’s a three per cent cap for private tenants, but in social housing there aren’t any protections,” she said. “While for private tenants there is a cap, we’re finding that more precarious members of the community aren’t protected by that.” 

Fife Council's housing spokesperson, Councillor Judy Hamilton, had previously said that spiralling inflation rates had seen the projected pressure on the housing account increase from £6.6million to £10.2m.

She said: "We simply can’t deliver the tenants’ priorities, continue with home improvements and house building without a rent increase. 

“Around two thirds of tenants have their rent paid through housing benefit or Universal Credit, so much of the income we generate from higher rents will come directly from HM Treasury rather than Fifers’ pockets.” 

The council rent hike will add approximately £3.92 a week to the average rent cost in Fife.