Tenant Farming Commissioner to consult with stakeholders on agency review

The Scottish Land Commission’s tenant farming commissioner, Dr Bob McIntosh, is to consult with key stakeholders on the findings from the review of the conduct of agents of landlords and tenants.

Stakeholders are asked to comment on the findings of the research following the collection of evidence on the views and experiences of landlords and tenants regarding their business interactions with agents.

914 tenant farmers with a total of 1,278 tenancies and 121 landlords holding 1,705 tenancies were interviewed by telephone.

A wide range of responses were received from throughout Scotland, with the majority reporting a positive experience regarding their interactions with agents.

Seventeen per cent of tenant farmers and 17 per cent of landlords surveyed were dissatisfied with the agent they had dealt with and a sample of these were re-interviewed to dig deeper into the reasons for dissatisfaction.

The Tenant Farming Commissioner is seeking feedback from key stakeholders including Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, Scottish Agricultural Arbiters & Valuers Association, Scottish Tenant Farmers Association, Scottish Land and Estates, NFUS and the Agricultural Law Association.

Consultation submissions will help inform the review, and a final report with recommendations from the tenant farming commissioner will be submitted to Scottish ministers.

Dr McIntosh said: “The evidence collected by the review, on the whole shows a positive response by tenants and landlords on their views and experiences regarding business interactions they have had with agents.

“Digging deeper into the 17 per cent of tenant farmers and landlords who expressed dissatisfaction has enabled us to get a clearer understanding of the reasons behind the responses.

“It is important that key stakeholders can comment on the findings of the research and be given the opportunity to make submissions to inform the review before the final report is submitted to Ministers.

“Agents play an important role in facilitating the relationship between landlord and tenant. A good agent can deliver for the client while maintaining sound professional standards and avoiding souring the landlord/tenant relationship. It is the responsibility of everyone involved to work together to ensure that this approach is the norm.”

The consultation and research reports can be found here.