TENANTS’ union Living Rent has launched its Holyrood manifesto to tackle runaway rents and build “a society by and for the people.”

The union renewed its calls for “real rent controls,” moving beyond recent Scottish government legislation, which still allows inflation-busting increases while excluding properties such as student accommodation.

Members have also called for a mass retrofit programme to upgrade the nation’s housing stock, whilst ending reliance on the private rented sector with more social housing

Launching the paper, which also calls for more public-owned transport and the replacement of the council tax, Living Rent political officer Eilidh Keay said: “Our communities are in crisis.

“This country is calling out for a housing system that puts people first over the profits of landlords and developers, for publicly owned joined-up transport systems and public services that work for all, and for a taxation system that is fair and not based on data from the last century.

“This manifesto offers a bold vision for Scotland’s future and one that we must push for if we want to see a fair and more equitable Scotland.”