Housing (Scotland) Act 2025

Housing (Scotland) Act 2025

2025 asp 13

Crown Application

Part 5 - Homelessness Prevention

Tenants affected by domestic abuse

Section 57 - Social landlords: policies about supporting tenants affected by domestic abuse

164. This section inserts new Chapter 4 into Part 2 (tenants of social landlords) of the 2001 Act. Chapter 4 comprises section 56A. This new section provides that each local authority landlord and registered social landlord must prepare a “domestic abuse policy” on how it will exercise its functions in relation to the needs of tenants who the landlord has reason to believe have experienced, are experiencing or are at risk of domestic abuse, with a view to preventing homelessness. The policy must include a description of the action that the landlord must take in relation to the needs of a tenant in the circumstances mentioned in section 14A(6A) of the 2001 Act (as inserted by section 56 of the 2025 Act). In this context, “domestic abuse” means abusive behaviour within the meaning of section 2 of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021. A landlord must have regard to its policy under section 56A when exercising its functions. The landlord must also have regard to any related guidance issued by the Scottish Ministers.