THE first New York style rent control zones look set to be introduced in Scotland.

The moves, backed by housing campaigners, are in response to growing concerns that Generation Rent - young professionals in their 20s unable to get on the property ladder - is being pushed to the brink by rapidly rising costs imposed by landlords and letting agents.

The proposals for the first control zones are by Glasgow SNP councillor Ruairi Kelly, who is putting forward a motion to examine the feasibility of a city-wide Rent Pressure Zone. It would mean rents in the city were capped for up to five years at the consumer price index plus one percent.

In April the Scottish Government announced that legislation, coming into affect in December, would give councils powers to create rent control. Edinburgh City Council has also confirmed it intends to use the power.

Campaigners told the Sunday Herald that sudden rent rises of up to £100 were common place while some letting agents build regular rises into contracts, which while not unexpected mean bills easily rise above affordability in a short space of time.

Councillor Kelly said that the cost of private rents had increased 24 percent over the last five years, while wages had stagnated. The sector has almost doubled in Scotland in the past 12 years and the average rent in Glasgow is now £755 pcm, 78 percent of the monthly income of an 18-20 year old working full time on minimum wage or 58 percent for someone over 25.

Kelly said: "As an ever-increasing percentage of people’s income is spent on keeping a roof over their heads it pushes people into food and fuel poverty and affects all aspects of their life including mental health and wellbeing. We need a radical overhaul in the housing sector.

"Rent Pressure Zones will give those in the private rental sector security in the knowledge that they will not have large increases in their rent sprung on them while the City Government gets on with the task of building the affordable housing that Glasgow needs. While this will not be the answer to all of the housing issues that we face, it is a step in the right direction towards recognising a place to live as a right and not a luxury.”

Laura Simpson, legal services manager for Govan Law Centre, said she regularly worked with clients who were facing eviction because of rapid rises in rent. In one case a family of four in Govanhill were told that the landlord was increasing the rent for their two bedroom flat – infested by cockroaches and in a poor state of repair – from £580 to £650 with immediate affect after a six month tenancy.

Other clients have had rent rises forced on them after reporting poor conditions or complaining when repairs are not carried out. "The main issue is with affordability more generally, " said Simpson. "But the fact that it's pretty common for a landlord to raise the rent by £50 or £100 is a major issue for our clients. At least this [a rent pressure zone] would help us challenge that."

Sean Baillie, organiser of the Living Rent campaign, Scotland's tenants union claimed many of its young members, who were often on zero hours contracts, were affected. One member recently contacted him after having to pay an additional £121 over a three year period. The annual charge of 3.5 percent was in his contract. Others have complained the charges, which are supposed to be illegal had made by estate agents. "This is a massive issue," he said. "Typically it affects young workers struggling to get guaranteed hours, who if they have been to University are in massive debt anyway. We are also supporting people in their fifties who have been unable to get social housing. We need to look at how we make rents affordable across the city. This is an important first step."

Research conducted by YouGov for us at the start of this year found that four in ten renters or mortgage holders in Scotland would struggle to afford their monthly housing costs if they increased by fifty pounds. James Battye, Shelter Scotland policy officer, said: "This tells us that unpredictable, frequent or large rent rises make it really difficult for tenants to stay in a property in their income isn’t also rising. These rent controls should guard against unpredictable and unreasonable increases."