Tenant farmers in Scotland have been urged to make use of the 'waygo' amnesty to notify landlords of any potential improvements needed.
The amnesty agreement, first introduced in 2017 and ends in 2020, allows tenant farmers to rectify any outstanding issues around past improvements they’ve carried out, which should qualify for consideration at waygo – the date at which a tenancy is terminated - despite missing notices or consents.
Monday (27 August) marked the start of a week-long social media and press campaign by the industry to emphasise the importance of the amnesty.
The amnesty does not apply where the landlord objected to the original improvement notice or the improvement was carried out in a manner significantly different from the original notice.
The amnesty may be essential when it comes to other aspects of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, particularly rent reviews and relinquishment of 1991 Act tenancies.
A Code of Practice, amongst the first to be produced by the Tenant Farming Commissioner, Bob McIntosh together with stakeholders including NFU Scotland, explains how the amnesty works and how landlords and tenants can work together in a fair and transparent manner to agree a definitive list of tenants’ improvements which may be eligible for compensation at waygo.
NFU Scotland President, Andrew McCornick said: “Once it’s gone, it’s gone. And with only two years remaining of the amnesty, I urge all tenants to decide as soon as they can whether the amnesty is appropriate for them.
“It is a one-off opportunity for tenants to ensure that past improvements are eligible for compensation at waygo so use it or lose it.”
