A new law is needed to stop private landlords letting out substandard homes at inflated rents according to a Glasgow MSP.

Pauline McNeill said the Covid-19 pandemic has made a housing crisis even worse and action is needed now to protect renters in the longer term from those landlords in the private sector who are unscrupulous and who are exploiting tenants they know have no alternative.

As the Scottish Parliament resumes this week after a short summer recess, Ms McNeill is calling for her Fair Rents Bill to be taken forward by the Scottish Government.

The Bill would cap rent rises at one percent above inflation and the MSP said it gives renters protection against excessive or unfair rent increases.

It was halted from going through the Scottish Parliament by the Local Government Committee, when the SNP and Conservative members voted against it.

Ms McNeill said the short term measures for protection against eviction during the coronavirus crisis are not enough to protect people from rent rises they cannot afford.

The Glasgow Labour MSP, Scottish Labour’s housing spokeswoman, said: “There was already a housing crisis before lockdown with unprecedented challenges to employment and affordability but the Covid19 crisis has exacerbated the problem.

“Renters need protection and the SNP have the opportunity to take on my Bill and put those protections in place and support hard-pressed tenants. It would be negligent of them to not act now.

“The private rented sector accounts for three times the households it did twenty years ago. This Bill would stop exploitative rent increases and would take the condition of properties into account in setting rents to stop substandard accommodation being unfairly priced for rent because of the location or lack of availability.“