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In Scotland, 14% of all homes are privately-rented. The private rented sector has below average standards of repair and energy efficiency, having both the greatest proportion of properties with low Energy Performance Certificates and those failing to meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

Informed by a review of recent literature and engagement with Scottish Land and Estates (SLE) and the Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL), CAS asked landlords, letting agents and estate managers a number of questions on energy efficiency to understand issues in the sector and what needs to be done to improve the energy efficiency of housing stock in the private rented sector.

This report identifies issues and makes a series of recommendations as to how housing in the sector can be improved and provide tenants with warmer, better quality homes while reducing emissions as Scotland moves towards Net Zero.

Over 50,000 pieces of housing advice were given out by the Citizens Advice network in Scotland between April 2020 and March 2021. In 2020-21, housing advice grew as a proportion of all advice, and the types of housing advice people were seeking also changed, compared to 2019-20.

Our statistics suggest the COVID-19 pandemic, its associated restrictions and protective measures brought housing issues to the forefront, as people spent more time within the four walls of their home.