Landlords are struggling with soaring costs as they face waits of up to a year to regain possession of their properties through Scotland’s housing tribunal.

Litigation specialists at Aberdein Considine LLP report that landlords are typically waiting between eight and 12 months from applying for an eviction order to receiving a tribunal hearing, while legal costs can reach £10,000 before a case is resolved.

The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) says the average time between an eviction application being lodged and a tribunal decision jumped from three months in 2019 to more than eight months in 2025. It adds that tenants being evicted for unpaid rent now owe an average of 14.7 months’ rent by the time a decision is reached, compared with 8.7 months in 2019.

Delays

Aberdein Considine dispute resolution partner, Elaine Elder, (pictured above) warns that delays, coupled with increasing regulation and rising costs, are driving many landlords to sell up, particularly those who own just one or two investment properties.

Elder believes delays are placing enormous financial pressure on landlords already dealing with increased regulation. “Many landlords across Scotland are not large-scale investors,” she adds. “They are ordinary working people with one or two properties that form part of their retirement planning or long-term financial security. When they are forced to absorb months of unpaid rent alongside significant legal costs, many decide they have no option but to sell.”

Impact

SAL chief executive John Blackwood agrees that the delays are having a direct impact on Scotland’s PRS. “Delays in eviction notices can seriously impact landlords’ businesses and consequently affect the supply of rented property available at any one time,” he adds.

“The Scottish Government should work with landlords and tenants to speed up the process so landlords can do their jobs by providing flexible and suitable homes to those who need them.”

Aberdein Considine LLP is calling for greater investment in Scotland’s property tribunal to reduce waiting times and provide faster access to justice for landlords and tenants. It believes a more efficient tribunal system would help improve confidence in the country’s private rented sector.

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