The Scottish Government has updated the transparency data for private residential tenancies (PRTs) under the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. The publication includes rent valuations issued by Rent Service Scotland (RSS), along with the comparable properties used in each assessment. It covers two periods: from 1 December 2017 to 30 September 2022 and from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, which reflect changes in the legislation governing how rents are assessed.

The Scottish Government has urged owners or long-term tenants of land or property individuals and organisations to check if they are legally required to submit to the Register of Persons Holding a Controlled Interest in Land (RCI) before the deadline of 1 April 2024, after which point they could risk being fined up to £5,000. Improving transparency was a key aim of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016, which the RCI does by providing a free to search register of persons with influence or control over land or assets.

The Scottish Land Commission (SLC) has launched a consultation on the next phase of land reform in Scotland. The consultation invites responses from individuals, community groups, land managers, businesses, and organisations on how land can more effectively support housing, nature, jobs, and local communities. Insights collected will help develop a collective vision for how land in Scotland is owned, used, and managed, and will inform policy development ahead of the proposed new Land Reform Bill. The SLC intends to publish a summary of contributions later in 2025.

The Scottish Land Commission has published a new Route Map, designed to ensure that communities receive real and lasting benefits from nature restoration and investment in Scotland’s natural environment. This practical guide, intended for landowners, developers, and investors, highlights the importance of involving local communities from the outset, agreeing on fair outcomes, and ensuring that natural capital projects, such as peatland restoration, deliver tangible benefits to local residents. The Route Map aligns with the Scottish Government's policy on nature investment, as outlined in the Natural Capital Market Framework, and was developed based on insights from five pilot projects in Scotland and one in England.

The Scottish Land Commission has published its Strategic Plan 2026-29, setting out its priorities as Scotland implements the Land Reform (Scottland) Act 2025 (LR(S)A 2025). The plan, focuses on three outcomes: (1) creating opportunities for more individuals, communities and businesses to own, lease or use land; (2) reducing the impacts of concentrated land ownership and (3) helping communities to shape and benefit from significant land decisions affecting their areas. The Commission will prioritise timely and effective implementation of LR(S)A 2025, opening up new land opportunities, improving land data and strengthening transparency, engagement and participation in Scotland’s land system. The plan also explains how the Commission will support new measures for large landholdings, including the community engagement obligation, Land Management Plans and transfer test, prepare for the appointment and operation of a Land and Communities Commissioner, expected to be appointed in spring 2027 and deliver the expanded role of the Tenant Farming Commissioner in relation to small landholdings. By 2029, the Commission also aims to have advised on an effective model lease for environmental purposes and advised on and begun to use secondary legislation implementing the community engagement obligation, prior notification and transfer test.

The Scottish Land Commission has published advice setting out how Scotland can expand and strengthen community ownership of land and assets. The advice identifies practical steps to help more communities acquire, manage and benefit from local assets, including increased and multi-year funding through the Scottish Land Fund, improved post-acquisition support and better access to legal, planning and technical expertise. The Commission states that more than 500 community organisations now own over 850 assets across Scotland, supporting jobs, homes and local services. It also recommends stronger collaboration across public bodies and use of Community Wealth Building plans to co-ordinate support, with the aim of ensuring land and buildings deliver long-term local benefit.

The Scottish Land Commission has published a five-year route map for modernising Scotland’s land and property tax administration. It proposes improving data on land ownership, use and value, updating valuation arrangements, strengthening coordination and digital infrastructure, and testing potential tax reforms before wider implementation. The route map aims to give Scottish Ministers greater flexibility to use taxation to support economic development, land reform, town-centre regeneration and reductions in emissions from land. It also recommends assessing digital and resource requirements and working with local authorities to test targeted tax measures intended to support the reuse of derelict land. The Scottish Land Commission states that these changes are needed to create a more efficient and coordinated system, noting that land and property taxes contributed £7.1 billion to Scotland’s public finances in 2024–2025.

The Scottish Land Commission has published new guidance on the use of comparables in rent reviews. It was released by Tenant Farming Commissioner, Bob McIntosh, in response to the increase in cases involving disputes between landlords and tenants over comparables in rent reviews. This guidance aims to clarify the procedures associated with using comparable holdings in rent reviews for agricultural tenancies. It also provides clear methodologies and detailed steps for using information from comparable holdings, including how the approach should be applied for Agricultural Holdings (Scotland) Act 1991 tenancies, Limited Duration Tenancies, and Modern Limited Duration Tenancies.

The Scottish Land Commission (SLC) has published a new report, conducted by commercial property consultants, Ryden, reviewing the progress in addressing Scotland's legacy of vacant and derelict land (VDL) four years after the submission of the SLC VDL Taskforce’s recommendations. The report illustrates significant strides in repurposing VDL for productive use, while also identifying key areas that necessitate further attention.

The Scottish Land Commission (SLC) has published a report on land supply for rural housing, proposing a stronger role for public land acquisition to help address Scotland's rural housing crisis. The report outlines key actions to ensure a consistent supply of land for rural housing development, leveraging publicly owned land.

The Scottish Land Commission has published research from its ScotLand Futures initiative reflecting contributions from more than 1,200 people regarding Scotland's land reform requirements. The research, published on 25 November 2025, found that over 96% of respondents indicated Scotland requires further action on land reform. Key concerns identified include concentrated ownership affecting approximately one in four respondents, absentee ownership issues raised by one in five people, and transparency difficulties in identifying land ownership reported by one in 20 respondents. Additional issues highlighted include insufficient community involvement in land use decisions, derelict land concerns, and calls for more effective taxation measures. The Commission published two documents: 'ScotLand Futures: What We Heard' and 'ScotLand Futures: Voices from Scotland'. The findings will inform the Commission's ongoing advisory work to the Scottish Government and help shape new guidance, policy options and recommendations for completing Scotland's land reform programme.

The Scottish Land Commission has published research by Scotland's Rural College exploring cadastral systems in Finland, Estonia, Belgium, the Netherlands and Scotland. The report finds that integrated digital land information systems, combining legal ownership, mapping, valuation and land use data, can support more informed decision-making on housing, infrastructure, taxation and climate policy. Estonia is highlighted as a leading example of how real-time data sharing across government systems can improve efficiency and help respond to changing policy priorities. The report suggests modern land information systems can strengthen the evidence base for policy and support public services and more effective long-term decision-making. It identifies opportunities for Scotland to improve dataset interoperability, expand the information linked to land records and make greater use of digital technology to test and model future policy options.