Tenant’s Improvements Amnesty – event summary

Your ‘One-stop shop’ for accessing all the critical information on the Tenant’s Improvements Amnesty

Stranraer, like meetings across the country saw packed out rooms.

Between July and December, The Scottish Government’s Farm Advisory Service (FAS) held a series of events across Scotland to inform tenant farmers and landowners about important changes to tenancy legislation including the current Tenants’ Improvements Amnesty.  Featuring experts from a range of fields, the meetings were attended by over 600 people from all across Scotland.

Agreed as part of the 2016 Land Reform (Scotland) Act, the amnesty allows for certain past improvements carried out by the tenant to be eligible for way-go (end of tenancy) compensation despite missing notices or consents. The amnesty opens on June 13 and will run for three years.

The aim of these events was to raise awareness of the key changes brought about by the 2016 Act – what is now in force and what is coming and the implications. This included a discussion on the amnesty, informing those involved of its importance at way-go and during rent reviews, and providing information on which improvements are eligible for the amnesty.

Our panel of experts wasn’t the same at each meeting but the message was clear from all who spoke, the deadline for the Tenant’s Improvements Amnesty is coming and if you want to take advantage of it, you need to act now.  The videos below were filmed at our Cupar meeting and feature Bob McIntosh, the Tenant Farming Commissioner, Tom Oates from land agency YoungsRPS, and Hamish Lean, rural law expert from legal firm Shepperd and Wedderburn.

Following the video presentations are the presentations and other materials delivered across the country.

Inverness – 11th July  Tenancy Presentation     |     Bob McIntosh_Tenant Farming     |     Hamish Lean

Aberdeenshire – 12th July  Tenancy Presentation     |    Bell Ingram – Tenants Improvements Talk     |     Andrew Thin – Land Commission     |     Hamish Lean

Cupar – 18th July  Bob McIntosh_Tenant Farming     |     Hamish Lean     |     Tom OATES

Perth – 19th July    Bob McIntosh_Tenant Farming     |     Hamish Lean     |     Tenant’s Amnesty- Martin Hall

St Boswells – 20th July     Bob McIntosh_Tenant Farming     |     Hamish Lean     |     Tom OATES

Dumfries – 23rd October     Amalgamated presentation

Isle of Bute – 24th October     Amalgamated presentation

Isle of Islay – 21st November    Amalgamated presentation

Stranraer – 29th November     Amalgamated presentation

Fenwick – 30th November     Amalgamated presentation