The Scottish Government has developed an interest free, hardship loan scheme to support renters to pay-off COVID-related rent arrears. Chris Norris, policy director at the National Residential Landlords Association, responded: “We welcome the announcement, which follows similar steps taken in Wales, and we call on the UK Government to introduce similar help for tenants in England. The best way to prevent repossessions is to tackle the root cause by ensuring tenants are able to pay their rent.

“Although landlords have been doing all they can to support tenants struggling to pay their rent because of the pandemic, it is not sustainable to expect rent arrears to build indefinitely with no hope of paying them off. Once again the UK Government finds itself trailing behind the rest of the UK. It is time to deliver a similar scheme to support tenants and landlords in England.”