I was on minimum wage when I rented my very first flat in Fife.
It wasn’t anything special. The kitchen was in the living room. The décor was dated, and the shower sometimes veered from scalding hot to icy cold in a matter of seconds.
But it was affordable. There were no issues with damp or disrepair.
As a first-time renter, it had everything I needed.
For young people looking to rent their first home, or older people forced to find new accommodation because of problems with their current rentals, the market is much harder to navigate now than it was when I was in my late teens.
Rising rents and low availability mean that would-be renters are forced into a Hunger Games-style battle for decent housing.
Increasingly, people are being asked to fill out a full application – including a credit check – before they are even allowed to view a property. Over the last few years, we’ve heard grim stories of letting agencies asking for half a year’s rent upfront to secure a property.
For owners and prospective buyers, the situation isn’t much better. Falling wages and high mortgage rates mean that the most fundamental need we all have – somewhere to live – isn’t as attainable as it once was.
The Courier recently reported that the number of second homes in Fife has fallen by more than 14% since a new council tax rate for second homes came into effect across the kingdom.
The 200% council tax on second homes is expected to bring in £3.9m in its first year.
Fife Council is one of several to raise their council tax after being granted new powers by the Scottish Government this year.
The head of revenue and commercial services at Fife Council, Les Robertson, said of the second homes:
“These houses are not available in either the sales or lettings markets in Fife. They are thus limiting the supply of houses in Fife, which has a housing crisis.”
Bold action needed to address housing crisis
While a policy like this is not without its downsides, it is exactly the kind of bold action we need to address to the housing crisis. But it’s not a quick fix.
We urgently need more government investment in affordable social housing as well as a proper crackdown on predatory landlords. We need to move away from the idea that renting or owning your own home is some pie-in-the-sky, aspirational thing.
It’s not.
It’s a basic need that should be available to all – not just those with the deepest pockets.
I’ve rented many properties since that first little studio in Fife. I’m not on minimum wage anymore. In theory, the flat I live in now should be a vast improvement on the very first one I ever got the keys to.
At the weekend, my friend came round to drop of an industrial-grade dehumidifier.
My bedroom, which has been raining for over a year, is now totally unusable.
Black mould has taken over the walls. The floor, the sills and the ceiling have been destroyed by the persistent and heavy leaks.
I’ve been sleeping on my couch for over a month. My friends and family are urging me to withhold rent until the long-overdue repairs are carried out. I’m not going to do that, precisely because I know what a hellscape the rental market is now.
It’s not fair, but it is indicative of the housing crisis.
Good on Fife Council for doing their bit to help mitigate it.
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