by DOUGLAS FRASER© The Herald
Originally published: 28.08.2007

PRIVATE-SECTOR tenants should be able to check their landlords and letting agents meet set standards, under a new scheme.

Housing Minister Stewart Maxwell set out the agreement with landlord representatives, intended to raise standards through a voluntary code of conduct.

The National Landlord Accreditation Scheme is different from the requirement for landlords to register with their local councils, which became law last year but has not been implemented widely because of software problems.

Mr Maxwell claimed: "This will be a boost to both landlords and tenants in the private rented sector and I'm delighted landlord groups are getting behind it. For the first time, tenants nationwide will be given the reassurance that their prospective landlords maintain and manage their properties to good standards."

He added: "For their part, landlords who work hard to look after their properties and their tenants will have their efforts rewarded."

John Blackwood, director of the Scottish Association of Landlords (Sal), said the scheme is "an excellent opportunity for landlords to promote their properties and service in a way that has never been available before", while both rewarding and promoting good practice.

He said the pilot scheme in Edinburgh had shown landlords wanting to use the scheme as a means to improve the condition of their properties and the service they offer tenants. There were also pilots in South Ayrshire, Dundee and Dumfries and Galloway. Existing local schemes are now expected to merge with the national one.

Meanwhile, a homelessness charity is today calling for more empty buildings across Scotland to be brought back into use to ease the country's housing crisis.

There are currently 87,000 empty homes in Scotland, according to Shelter - 48,000 of them in the private sector.

Shelter Scotland is also urging the Scottish Executive to take action on the issue and called for "substantial investment" in new affordable homes in Scotland.

The charity is calling for 30,000 affordable rented homes for Scotland in this year's comprehensive spending review.