Build to Rent Partnerships in Lerwick
If you are an institution or registered provider seeking new rental homes in Lerwick, Land to Homes can bring forward sites designed for build to rent. Homes are planned for renting from the start, with management, layouts and shared spaces to suit. The partnership can be structured as forward funding or forward purchase, agreed privately with each party taking its own advice.
Lerwick · ZE1Start a conversation
Tell us about your organisation or opportunity and we will call you back.
Prefer to talk? Call 0800 088 6248.
- Private conversationsEvery arrangement documented
- Land to homesLand, planning and construction
- Housing partnersCouncils and housing associations
- No public offerNothing here is an offer to invest
- UK-wideEngland, Wales, Scotland and NI
Working together in Lerwick
Lerwick sits about 215 miles north-east of Inverness in Highlands & Islands, in the ZE1 postcode district. Close by, our coverage also takes in Kirkwall, Thurso and Fraserburgh.
Around Lerwick, we can talk to partners about social rent homes, forward-funded build to rent and council land brought forward for homes. In Scotland, where Lerwick sits, planning decisions are made by the council as planning authority (or a national park authority in its area).
Tell us about the opportunity near Lerwick and the right person will call you back.
Our approach in Lerwick
Nation-aware tenancies
Each nation has its own tenancy law, and schemes are planned with the rules that will apply to tenants and landlords in mind.
Houses or apartments
Single-family rental houses on suburban sites or apartments in towns, depending on the site, the planning context and the partner's requirements.
Designed for renting
Layouts, storage, specifications and amenities are chosen for long-term letting and management, rather than adapted from homes designed for sale.
Management in mind
Bin stores, parking, cycle storage, parcel rooms and plant are designed for efficient day-to-day management and low maintenance.
Rules that apply in Lerwick
Scotland's Affordable Housing Supply Programme has a national target for new affordable homes, most of them for social rent. Councils and registered social landlords around Lerwick deliver most of these, mainly as new build, with registered social landlords regulated by the Scottish Housing Regulator. Land to Homes can supply sites, design and construction to help partners deliver, whether on land we bring forward or land a partner already owns.
In Scotland, build to rent homes are let on private residential tenancies, and landlords must register with the council. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 allows rent control areas, with exemptions for qualifying build to rent and mid-market rent properties. Land and Buildings Transaction Tax applies, and planning obligations are secured through Section 75 agreements.
| In-principle consent | Planning permission in principle (PPP), followed by approval of matters specified in conditions |
|---|---|
| Land registration | Registers of Scotland (Land Register of Scotland) |
| How a sale becomes binding | Land sales are concluded through missives, formal letters exchanged between solicitors that become a binding contract once concluded, followed by settlement on the date of entry and registration in the Land Register of Scotland. |
| Developer contributions | Section 75 planning obligations, with Section 69 agreements sometimes used for simple one-off payments |
Your questions answered for Lerwick
What is the difference between forward funding and forward purchase?
With forward funding, the partner buys the site and pays for construction in stages as the scheme is built. With forward purchase, the partner agrees to buy the finished homes on completion, while the developer arranges construction finance in the meantime. The structures share risk differently, so each party takes its own legal and tax advice.
How do tenancy rules affect build to rent?
Build to rent homes are let under the private tenancy law of each nation. In England, most new private tenancies are assured periodic tenancies under the Renters' Rights Act 2025. Wales uses occupation contracts, Scotland the private residential tenancy and Northern Ireland the Private Tenancies Order regime. Schemes are planned with these rules in mind.
Can registered providers take on build to rent homes?
Yes. Registered providers can acquire rental homes through forward purchase or package deals, including homes for social rent, affordable rent, mid-market rent or market rent, depending on the nation and their own objectives. We discuss schemes with providers and plan them around the provider's standards and funding conditions.
Are build to rent homes exempt from rent control in Scotland?
The Housing (Scotland) Act 2025 allows rent control areas to be designated, and regulations exempt qualifying build to rent and mid-market rent properties from rent control area restrictions, subject to conditions. Other rent rules for private residential tenancies still apply. The rules are detailed and may change, so partners should take Scottish legal advice on any scheme.
Do you work with partners on schemes in Lerwick?
Yes. We discuss schemes in Lerwick and elsewhere in Highlands & Islands, including Kirkwall, Fort William and Thurso privately with professional partners. Nothing on this website is an offer or invitation to invest.
Read more: Build to Rent Partnerships · Guide: Renting a new-build home: tenancy rules in England, Wales, Scotland and NI