First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned landlords in Aberdeen they could be the first targets in a government crackdown on spiralling rents.
The SNP leader said new legislation could be used to target excessive charging for leased houses.
A landlords’ group has branded the proposals “heavy handed” and claimed will only “endanger investment” in the sector.
Latest figures show the average monthly rent for a two-bedroom property in Aberdeen is £972 – a third higher than the Scottish average.
But the Scottish Government is currently introducing legislation which could allow local authorities, such as Aberdeen City Council, to apply for rents to be capped in their area.
Ms Sturgeon said: “What we are proposing is a rent control framework that is proportionate and moderate so that it can mitigate the effect of excessively rising rent in particular areas.
“We know there are some areas, particularly in Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire, where rents have been increasing significantly in real terms.
“What we are envisaging will be something that is not a blanket, one-size-fits-all approach, but a mechanism which gives local authorities the ability to apply to ministers to cap rents in pressure zones.
“This is intended to provide protection for tenants where it is needed but to also make sure that we continue to have a system that is proportionate.”
The Scottish Association of Landlords (SAL) has said any cap could damage the lettings market, and that the best way to bring prices down was to build more homes.
Its chief executive, John Blackwood, said: “Whilst there are some hotspots of rent increases in areas such as Aberdeen, that is not the same story in other parts of the country where rents are reducing, making it harder for landlords to invest in their properties at a time when they are facing increased costs due to additional regulation.
“SAL supports the drive to increase standards in the private rented sector and agrees it is time for the overall rental regime to be modernised.
“However, heavy-handed rent control will only endanger investment in the private rented sector.
“The solution is to ensure increased housing supply which will increase standards and drive down rents.
“We hope the Scottish Government proposals strike the right balance between protecting tenants and encouraging investment by landlords and letting agents.”