Chapmans Director Laura Chapman reflects on the SAL Letting Day 2025 conference and why collaboration, not politics, is key to solving Scotland’s housing crisis.
“Fifteen years ago, I attended my first Scottish Association of Landlords conference, the SAL Letting Day, and left with two bottles of champagne, and the idea to start Chapmans Property Management.
Fast forward to this year’s event, and I was back with two of our Property Managers, Liv and Eve W. (Liv even carried on the Champagne tradition by winning some herself). It was a brilliant day out for our team from a fun point of view, but also because we racked up 20 hours of professional development and plenty of ideas for the year ahead.
What really stood out, however, was a Newsnight-style political panel featuring representatives from four major parties discussing Scotland’s housing crisis. For once, there was real balance and even some agreement that the anti-landlord rhetoric of recent years may have gone too far.
This is all great news for the sector but my main takeaway is that housing should never be political. Like healthcare, it’s a basic human need. The challenges we face, from affordability and availability to energy efficiency and an ageing population, cut across income, geography and ideology.
We need a holistic approach that recognises the diversity of Scotland’s housing needs. Students and young professionals need flexible homes close to where they work and study. Families need long-term stability and safe communities to grow into. And older people deserve warm, energy-efficient homes where they can live comfortably for years to come.
That means thinking creatively about policy too. Perhaps we should rethink ADS (Additional Dwelling Supplement) so that long-term landlords can reclaim part of it each year. Or maybe we could introduce targeted tax relief for landlords who invest in energy upgrades that benefit tenants and the wider community.
At Chapmans, we’ve always believed that collaboration between private landlords, letting agents, housing associations and government is the key to genuine progress. The sooner we stop treating housing as a political football and start working together, the stronger and fairer Scotland’s housing system will be for everyone.”
