Panel and Committees

The prhp is called 'the Panel' and consists of members (lawyers, chartered surveyors and lay members) and committees. It is independent of the Scottish Government, central and local Government, and the Rent Service Scotland.

In cases relating to the landlord's repairing obligations, the prhp offers an in-house mediation service.

The Panel's headquarters are located in Glasgow but hearings and mediation sessions will take place at suitable venues across Scotland. Although it is an independent body, the prhp receives funding from the Scottish Government. It is able to deal with cases relating to private sector rented houses situated anywhere in Scotland.

The Panel

The term 'the Panel' refers to the organisation itself, which provides a pool of members for appointment to private rented housing committees (prhc). The Panel is also referred to as the prhp. It is run by a legally qualified President and a Vice President who is a Chartered Surveyor, and staffed by civil servants seconded from the Scottish Government.  A full list of current members is available here.

The Committees

A Committee will usually be made up of a lawyer acting as chairperson, a chartered surveyor and a lay member, although in some cases a committee can consist of a Chairman and one or two other members. Panel lay members come from a diverse range of backgrounds and many of them are acknowledged experts in housing issues.