I'm glad to see some more signatures - its been tough getting this out there on a zero budget.

Unfortunately the 1st of April has now passed and the Scottish Government did not announce that their plan to remove the cap on rent increases was an April Fools prank. 

Your Landlord can now raise your rent to the market value, which for many is totally unaffordable. The process for challenging rent increases is weighted in favour of the landlords and employs threatening tactics to ward of tenants; for example, if you were to challenge a rent increase of 20%, the tribunal process could see you leaving with an increase of 40%. Unbelievably, this is true and it does happen - it leaves us alone in a woefully dysfunctional system.

The Scottish First minister has shown no empathy for tenants when questioned during First Ministers questions, despite the swathe of evidence supporting the benefits of having a roofs over ones head and feeling secure beneath it. 

Many MSP'S are landlords. Scotland is seeing record high rents as well as a housing crisis.  Property is a road for the rich to become richer and tenants are becoming the scattered bones by the roadside. 

I will persist with this petition and continue to write to and call upon the decision makers to reintroduce emergency protections for tenants, until such time as the housing bill is introduced. IF the housing bill is introduced and thats a big IF. 

The tragedy here is that the Scottish Government knows removing the cap on rent increases will result in people slipping into poverty, or worse, into homelessness. This decision has been calculated to entice investors, at the cost of real people with lives, homes, families. 

if anyone would like to share their story, please feel free to email us at - rentstrikescotland@outlook.com 

It would be very helpful to know how people are managing and if they are struggling with new rent increases. 

kind, kind regards to you all.