Holyrood will give a Housing (Scotland) Bill its Second Reading next week. It is an unusual Housing Bill in that it does not focus on building more houses, despite housing emergencies being declared all over the place.

Instead, according to the Scottish Government, it “covers protections for tenants, preventing homelessness, and other housing matters”. This managerial approach has led to a flurry of further demands to regulate while avoiding the central issue – which is “not enough houses”.

Rent controls and taxes on second homes are particularly popular and populist. Who can be against them? The problem is that each proposed solution risks being counter-productive and certainly does not attack that core challenge which the legislation avoids. More houses.

In contrast, it was reported yesterday that the number of buy-to-rent properties under construction in Scotland has dropped by 26 per cent in the past year as developers steer clear of the only part of the UK where rent controls are being contemplated.

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Proponents of rent controls might claim we are well rid of landlords who are deterred by inhibitions placed on maximisation of profit. That principled stand is unlikely to be shared by those who are being deprived of renting a nice, new city centre flat because the project has been shelved in favour of Manchester, to quote an actual example.

If this law of unintended consequences is already taking effect – as it is – then surely the Bill........

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