THE Scottish Government has today confirmed that all evictions from both the private and social sector have been banned for six months.

It comes following the introduction of a package of emergency measures to respond to the spread of the coronavirus pandemic. 

More than 15,000 people previously signed a petition calling for the government to protect tenants from COVID-19, demanding an emegency halt to all evictions and a "rent holiday" for tenants affected by the deadly virus. 

READ MORE: Scottish Government considers ban on all evictions as campaigners demand help for tenants

Confirming the move, Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government, Aileen Campbell, told parliament: "Nobody as a result of this should lose their house, there should be no eviction as a result of COVID. 

"The emergency legisilation will have provisions to ensure there can be no evictions from the private rented sector or the social rented sector for six months.

"Aside from the legislation, I have also had assurances from the SFHA that they will not evict anyone at all during this time.

"We do not want to see anyone lose their house over the head of this pandemic."

The move has been praised by Scotland's Tenant's union, Living Rent.

The union had argued that, for tenants, the coronavirus pandemic is not just a health concern, but a financial one too.

READ MORE: Coronavirus lockdown LIVE: Strict measures as UK deaths hit 422 - with 16 in Scotland

David Hanson, from Living Rent, said: "This is a brilliant win for tenants up and down Scotland.

"It was always an absurd prospect that tenants could be threatened with eviction during a global pandemic, and this announcement from the Scottish Government is extremely welcome.

"It is now crucial that we also ensure that tenants are not driven into enormous debts over the course of the pandemic.

"When workplaces shut their doors, tenants who were already struggling to make ends meet simply will not be able to pay their rent.

"The government must, as a matter of urgency, guarantee these people the protections we need and have these rents written off.

"Living Rent will continue to vigorously pressure the Scottish Government for further tenant protections."

Mr Hanson added: "As well as these emergency measures, this pandemic has underlined just how precarious life has become for far too many tenants.

"For many of us across Scotland, we have always only ever been one or two paychecks away from poverty.

"Once this is over, we cannot just go back to normal: the government has got to take serious action on sky-high rents.”