National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland is urging tenant farmers to make use of the ‘waygo’ amnesty before time runs out.
The amnesty, included in the Land Reform Act (Scotland) 2016, started in June 2017 and runs until 2020.
Tenant farmers across Scotland now have less than two years left to consider if they have improvements that they wish to notify their landlord about, under the amnesty arrangements
“Once it’s gone, it’s gone,” said union president, Andrew McCornick.
Monday, August 27, marked the start of a week-long social media and press campaign by industry stakeholders to emphasise the importance of the scheme.
Further details
The arrangement will allow tenants 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.
However, it 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.
NFU Scotland officials believe that 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.
“Code of practice”
A Code of Practice, produced by the Tenant Farming Commissioner, Bob McIntosh, together with stakeholders including NFU Scotland, explains how the amnesty works.
The guide will also provide information on 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.
This is a one-off opportunity for tenants to ensure that past improvements are eligible for compensation at waygo so use it or lose it.
“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,” added McCornick.
