We are letting you know about changes to Scottish housing law that may affect tenants later this year. You do not need to do anything just now, but we want to make sure you know about the changes and where to get help if you need it.
Some of the changes come into force on 1 August 2026, with further changes following on 6 October 2026.
The Scottish Government has published new model Scottish Secure Tenancy (SST) and Short Scottish Secure Tenancy (SSST) agreements for use from 1 August 2026. These reflect changes introduced by the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025, new domestic abuse legislation and new repair duties coming into force later this year.
As your tenancy agreement started before these changes, you will not normally receive a new tenancy agreement because of the updated model. However, some of the legal changes may affect your tenancy rights and responsibilities. If we need to send you a new tenancy agreement or updated information in future, we’ll contact you directly.
Domestic abuse and tenancy rights from 1 August 2026
From 1 August 2026, Part 2 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 is expected to give social landlords new powers to help people experiencing domestic abuse stay safely in their home, where this is appropriate.
In some circumstances, a landlord may be able to ask the court to end the tenancy rights of a tenant (including a joint tenant) who has behaved abusively and transfer the tenancy to the person who has experienced the abuse.
The aim is to reduce the need for someone experiencing domestic abuse to leave their home, community, school or support network because of the abuse.
Only a court can decide whether this should happen. Each case will be considered carefully, sensitively and confidentially, and we will work with specialist support services where appropriate.
You can find out more in our Safeguarding and Domestic Abuse Policy.
Support for tenants affected by domestic abuse
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 also strengthens the support social landlords should give to tenants who have experienced, are experiencing, or may be at risk of domestic abuse.
Domestic abuse can include physical violence, psychological abuse, threatening, controlling or coercive behaviour, or abuse carried out through another person.
If you are experiencing domestic abuse, or are worried about someone else, you can contact us in confidence.
If someone is in immediate danger, always contact the police by calling 999.
Other changes from 1 August 2026
Succession rights
The rules about who can take over a Scottish Secure Tenancy after a tenant dies are changing.
In some cases, the person taking over the tenancy must have lived in the property as their only or main home before the tenant died. The qualifying period is reducing from 12 months to six months.
The normal succession rules will still apply, including the person’s relationship to the tenant, whether the property was their only or main home and whether there have been any previous successions.
Rent increase notices
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 changes how landlords can send rent increase notices.
In some circumstances, we’ll be able to send these by email.
If we propose a rent increase, we’ll always give you the notice required by law and explain:
- your proposed new rent
- when it will apply
- any rights you have to challenge it
- who to contact if you have any questions
Keeping pets
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 introduces a new right for Scottish secure tenants to ask for written permission to keep a pet.
Where permission is needed, we must not unreasonably refuse your request.
We’ll respond in writing within one month of receiving your request. We’ll let you know whether permission has been given, whether any reasonable conditions apply, or why permission has been refused.
Changes from 6 October 2026 – damp and mould repairs
New repair duties, often referred to as Awaab’s Law, are expected to come into force through the Investigation and Commencement of Repair (Scotland) Regulations 2026.
These changes will introduce clear timescales for landlords to:
- investigate reports of damp and mould
- tell tenants the outcome of the investigation in writing
- begin any repairs that are needed
These duties are intended to strengthen existing protections and make sure damp and mould problems are dealt with promptly.
What you should do
Please continue to report any repairs, including damp and mould, as soon as possible using our usual contact details.
We’ll update our policies and procedures to reflect the new legal requirements and let you know if any changes affect you directly.
Further changes
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 contains other changes that have not yet come into force. These include changes relating to homelessness prevention, repossession proceedings and additional tenant protections.
We’ll keep you updated when the Scottish Government confirms when these changes will begin.
Until then, your current tenancy rights and responsibilities remain the same, except where changes have already come into force.
What this means for you
For most tenants, there is nothing you need to do at the moment.
These changes are mainly intended to strengthen tenant protections, improve support for people affected by domestic abuse and update how some tenancy rights work.
We’ll continue to keep you informed as further changes come into force.
If you have any questions about this letter, your tenancy or the support available, please contact us by emailing enquiries@cairnha.com, by calling 0800 990 3405, by direct messaging us on Facebook or our website, or through the My Cairn tenant portal.
You can also get independent advice from a solicitor, Citizens Advice, Shelter Scotland or another independent advice service.
