Housing: Subject Profile

Image: Figure 2: Number of residential house sales in Scotland 2003-04 to 2024-25

There were 13,725 newly built homes in 2025. 80% of these were built by the private sector. In 2025, private sector new build completions were 34% lower than in 2004.

Image: Figure 3: Number of new build completions, 2004 to 2025

Private landlord registration was introduced in 2006, the Repairing Standard in 2007 and the First Tier Tribunal was established in 2016. Most recently, the Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 will extend tenancy rights for tenants and provides a framework for rent control areas.

Image: Figure 7: Timeline of private rented sector developments

Image: Figure 1: Proportion of households in Scotland by tenure 1999-2000 to 2024

Bar chart showing the number of affordable housing completions by type, social rent, affordable home ownership and affordable rent from 2016 to 2025. Completions peaked in 2022, but have fallen since then to 2025 with the lowest number of completions in the time series.

Image: Figure 4: Number of Affordable Housing Supply Programme Completions 2016 to 2025.

Between 23 March 2022 and 31 December 2025, 30% of the Session 6 Scottish Government's target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032 was completed

Image: Figure 5: Progress towards the Session 6 Scottish Government's target to deliver 110,000 affordable homes by 2032.

The Tolerable Standard applies to all houses, the Repairing Standard applies to private landlords and social landlords must meet the Scottish Housing Quality Standard.

Image: Figure 6: Overview of House Condition Standards

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