The Stirling representative, who first mooted the amendment late last year, said the proposal would bring greater fairness, transparency, and accountability to housing regulation in Scotland.

According to Ms Tweed, the present internal appeals process offered by SHR “lacks independence” and “is not widely respected by housing organisations”. While judicial review is technically available, it is costly, time-consuming, and inaccessible to most organisations and individuals. 

Evelyn Tweed’s amendment introduces a new right of appeal to the First-tier Tribunal, aligning the housing regulatory framework with that used for decisions by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

The proposal has received strong backing from sector bodies, including the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations (GWSF), and SHARE.

Evelyn Tweed MSP said: “This amendment is about putting fairness and accountability at the heart of housing regulation. For too long, decisions with major consequences for housing providers, staff, and communities have been shielded from independent scrutiny. A simple and inexpensive route to challenge these decisions is long overdue.”

“I’m especially grateful to the organisations that helped shape this amendment—SFHA, GWSF and SHARE—whose contributions were rooted in real, lived experience across the sector. Their input has been invaluable in helping us take this important step forward.”

If passed, the new appeal process would cover a wide range of SHR decisions, including registration, enforcement notices, financial management directions, and the appointment or removal of individuals in key roles. Affected parties would be entitled to request an internal review and, if necessary, escalate their case to the First-tier Tribunal, adding a much-needed layer of independent oversight.

The amendment was welcomed at recent sessions of the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, where MSPs and sector representatives emphasised the need for a fairer and more balanced regulatory system.

Evelyn Tweed MSP added: “This is a strong example of parliamentarians listening to the housing sector and working together to deliver practical, meaningful reform. I look forward to continued collaboration as the Bill progresses.”