Yet another distinctly unusual idea for the private rental sector has emerged from the Green Party.
Having championed rent freezes and eviction bans in Scotland, the Green this week demanded that landlords be denied rent increases without substantial improvements to their properties.
Now the party has another idea: renters should use outdoor spaces for growing plants and vegetables without requiring the consent of landlords.
The most prominent anti-landlord Member of the Scottish Parliament – Maggie Chapman of the Green Party – has lodged an amendment to the Housing (Scotland) Bill would mean plants such as wildflowers and small bee hives can be cultivated in renters’ gardens “to help repopulate the bees and other insects that are vital for ours and our ecosystem’s survival.”
Allowing more people to grow their own fruit and veg will also help bring sustainably homegrown, seasonal, fresh produce into more households and helps towards climate action targets, says a statement from the party.
“In built-up areas where green space is limited to public parks and a few allotments, this is a much needed change for people and planet” explains Chapman.
“Renters’ rights to use the spaces they pay for should extend to their gardens. Growing food sources or plants for pollinators is a great way to enjoy and access outdoor spaces. They should not have to ask permission from private landlords to do so when this is a move that benefits both people and planet.
“This is a small but significant change for renters to make the homes they pay towards feel like their own, and to do some good for the environment and their families.
“Outdoor spaces attached to properties should be there to enjoy and to utilise for good causes and this Bill must ensure that this is enshrined in law.”
This article is taken from Landlord Today