Massive Rent Hikes Up to £600/Month Could Leave Thousands Homeless by April 1

Thousands of renters across Scotland are bracing for massive rent hikes, with some fearing they could be made homeless within weeks. As landlords regain the power to raise rents without limits from April 1, many tenants are panicking about how they will cope.

University worker Mara Dougall, 39, is one of them. She’s lived in a modest one-bedroom flat in Partick, Glasgow, for ten years but is now terrified her rent could double overnight. “I live alone, and it’s incredibly unsettling not knowing what’s coming. My landlord has never spoken to me, so I have no idea what they’ll do,” she said, reported the Daily Record.

Her rent has already gone from £575 to £645 in line with last year’s 12% cap. Now, with no restrictions, she dreads the worst. “They talk about ‘market rates,’ but that could mean a £600 jump to £1,245 a month. That would be like being evicted because I just couldn’t afford to pay.”

Mara is far from alone. Campaign group Living Rent warns that thousands could be at risk of homelessness as landlords take advantage of the gap before new rent control laws—expected in 2027—kick in. And rent isn’t the only thing hitting tenants hard. From April, council tax, water bills, and energy prices are all set to rise, squeezing households even further.

Councils have announced eye-watering tax hikes, with some bills soaring by as much as 15.6%. Glasgow residents will see a 7.5% rise, while Falkirk has the highest increase at 15.6%, adding hundreds of pounds to annual payments.

Meanwhile, energy regulator Ofgem is increasing the price cap again, meaning the average bill will rise to £1,849. That’s an extra £111 a year for the typical household—higher still for those in colder, less energy-efficient Scottish homes.

Water bills are also climbing by 9.9%, pushing the cost for an average Band D home to over £600 a year. Scottish Water says the hike is needed to improve infrastructure and cope with extreme weather caused by climate change.

With everything going up, renters like Mara feel powerless. “It’s like everything is out of my control, no matter how much I budget,” she said. “I work full-time, I live within my means, but if my landlord doubles my rent, that’s it—I’m out of my community.”

On top of these financial pressures, Prime Minister Keir Starmer is reportedly considering £6 billion in cuts due to weak economic growth and increased defence spending demands. While the focus is on welfare savings in England and Wales, Scotland’s First Minister John Swinney is also expected to make tough financial decisions as the country faces a lower-than-expected budget. With no clear solution in sight, many Scots are left wondering how much more they can take.