Step 1: Find out the eviction process and what housing law arguments you might have
Check what housing law defences you have
Discrimination law isn't the only argument you can use to try to stop your eviction. There are other defences under housing law that everyone can use, whether they have a protected characteristic or not.
The first step is to find out what type of tenancy you have, and then, based on your type of tenancy:
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the process the landlord has to use legally to evict you
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whether or not you can challenge your eviction
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what housing law arguments you might have
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whether you defend it in the sheriff court or the First-tier Tribunal
Housing law defences might include, depending on your circumstances, that the:
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landlord hasn’t used the correct eviction procedure
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eviction isn’t reasonable
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grounds of eviction the landlord is using aren’t valid
You should always check whether these are available to you first before checking whether you have a discrimination argument. If there aren't any housing law defences that apply in your situation you can just use discrimination law alone.
Check you're facing eviction for the housing law arguments for your tenancy type.
If you’re not sure what type of tenancy you have
You may have either a public or private tenancy, depending on who your landlord is. There are types of tenancies within these broad categories.
Your tenancy agreement will usually state the tenancy type but bear in mind this might not be correct.
If you rent from a council or housing association (public sector landlords), you will normally have a Scottish secure tenancy or sometimes a short Scottish secure tenancy.
If you rent from an individual or through a letting agent, you're a private tenant. Check types of private tenancies.
You can also use the tenancy checker tool on the Shelter Scotland website and/or get help to determine what kind of tenancy you have.