Found: That is important because the Government have their Renters’ Rights Bill coming through Parliament.

Found: We have done a lot of work on the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Found: We have done a lot of work on the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Found: We have done a lot of work on the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Found: its plan to introduce the Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector through its Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill is due become law this year.

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill, which will deliver the legislative changes to the private rented sector, is

Found: Public Bill Committees Resolved, That the Committee appoint Members to the Renters' Rights Bill Committee

Found: For example, the Renters Rights Bill, currently before Parliament, will deliver a manifesto commitment

Found: delivering its manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, with our Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local 5Government in the context of the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: funded by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government in the context of the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: Renting Homes (Wales) Act 20166 and the prospect of reform of the PRS in England from the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill 4 has just passed Second Reading in the House of Lords and includes provisions

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill should also be taken into consideration.

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill should also be taken into consideration.

Found: broader cost of living crisis, including ending Section 21 evictions through the passage of the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: are at increased risk of falling into rent arrears and could face eviction even after the Renters Rights Bill

Found: Matthew Pennycook, is leading on, that there is a raft of measures being introduced through the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: Matthew Pennycook, is leading on, that there is a raft of measures being introduced through the Renters’ Rights Bill

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department has made an assessment of the potential merits of requiring home insurers to offer insurance to landlords offering tenancies to tenants on benefits.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Rental discrimination against people who receive benefits has no place in a fair and modern housing market.

As part of the rental discrimination measures in the Renters’ Rights Bill, any clauses within a new or renewed contract of insurance that would prohibit the letting of a property to a tenant in receipt of benefits will be rendered of no effect.

Many insurers already offer services to landlords who rent to tenants receiving benefits and, following engagement with the sector, we are not expecting any destabilising effect on the market as a result of the provisions in the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether she has made an assessment of the effectiveness of the Housing First Unit established by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government supports Mayor Burnham’s initiative to improve access to quality housing across Greater Manchester.

Nationally, we are increasing funding for homelessness to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26 and working to reduce homelessness by delivering 1.5 million new homes over the next Parliament and abolishing ‘no fault’ evictions through our Renters’ Rights Bill.

The government is committed to taking further action to raise quality standards in both rented sectors. Reforms are underway to drive up social housing standards, with stronger regulations to hold landlords accountable to regulatory standards. We will introduce Awaab’s Law to both rented sectors and bring forward consultation on the Decent Homes Standard that all social housing landlords must meet.

For more information on the steps we are taking to increasing the supply of social and affordable housing, I refer the hon. Member to my answer to Question UIN 41721 on 3 April 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' publication Concluding observations on the seventh periodic report of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, published on 12 March 2025, whether she will make it her policy to adopt the Committee's recommendations on guarantees for (a) safe and (b) adequate living conditions in temporary accommodation through a comprehensive regulatory framework.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Government notes the UN Committee's recommendations on ensuring safe and adequate living conditions in temporary accommodation.

Our Homelessness Code of Guidance provides a summary of the homelessness legislation duties, powers and obligations on local housing authorities, including the quality standards of temporary accommodation.

Legislation is clear that temporary accommodation must be suitable for the needs of the household and that suitability of accommodation should be kept under review. Households may ask for a review of their accommodation if they feel it is unsuitable.

Through the Renters’ Rights Bill, the government will consult on a reformed Decent Homes Standard for the social and private rented sectors in due course. It is the government’s intention that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to as much of the temporary accommodation sector as possible.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department plans to improve the rights of residents in non-traditional housing against (a) eviction, (b) sudden contract cancellations and (c) large rent increases.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All renters, regardless of tenure or agreement type, deserve to feel safe and secure in their homes.

Residents in non-traditional housing who fall outside the assured tenancy system are likely to possess a licence to occupy and thus are excluded from the scope of reforms in the Renters’ Rights Bill.

The government is satisfied that protection exists for residents with a licence to occupy the property through the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 and broader consumer protection legislation.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what discussions she has had with the Welsh Government on the potential difference of security of tenure that will exist between England and Wales following the passage of the Renters Rights Bill.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders during the development of our reforms to the private rented sector, and we have sought to learn from the experience of the devolved nations.

However, housing within Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland are matters for the respective devolved government. Respect for devolution and collaboration with the devolved governments is central to this government’s approach to rebuilding the country.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what assessment he makes of the effectiveness of safeguards to protect tenants from (a) rent increases and (b) evictions following upgrades to Energy Performance ratings by landlords.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

The Government launched a consultation on improving minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector on 7^th February 2025.

The Government is committed to protecting and improving the rights of tenants. The Renters’ Rights Bill will put in place new regulations to protect tenants. This includes providing stronger protections to ensure that tenants are able to appeal excessive above-market rents, abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’, and moving to a simpler tenancy structure where all assured tenancies are periodic. These measures provide more security for tenants and enable them to challenge poor practice and unfair rent increases without fear of eviction.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to support housing landlords with tenants in long-term rent arrears.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Financial support is available for tenants facing difficulty paying their rent, including through the Household Support Fund and Discretionary Housing Payment schemes. In 2025/26, the government is investing £1 billion into these schemes, which are administered by local authorities in line with local priorities.

Free, non-means tested legal advice is available through the Housing Loss Prevention Advice Service for tenants who are at risk of possession proceedings or loss of their home. Through this service, tenants can receive advice on housing, welfare benefits and debt as soon as they receive written notice that possession of their home is being sought.

While support is available to sustain tenancies where appropriate, the government believes that landlords must have robust grounds for possession where there is good reason to take their property back, including where a tenant has accrued long-term rent arrears. Under the Renters’ Rights Bill, there will be grounds for possession for rent arrears allowing mandatory eviction after three months’ arrears are accrued, and discretionary grounds for lesser amounts in situations such as frequent late payment.

It is also important that landlords can have efficient access to justice in the minority of cases where court action becomes necessary. We will make the court possession process more efficient for users by digitising it from end-to-end.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

What steps her Department is taking to improve standards in the private rented sector in Bournemouth East constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Our Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver the government’s manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by applying a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector to drive up standards within it.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to section one of the policy paper entitled A new approach to ensure regulators and regulation support growth, published on 17 March 2025, if she will make an assessment of the potential cumulative impact of these regulations on the private rented sector.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill delivers our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

While the majority of landlords provide a good service, the private rented sector currently provides the least affordable, poorest quality and most insecure housing of all tenures. A sector that does not work for those who depend on it is bad for economic growth and productivity, detrimental to good public health, and a drain on aspiration.

The government’s Impact Assessment for the Bill indicated that, for landlords that already provide decent homes and a prompt repair service to their tenants, the costs of our reforms are estimated to be just £22 per rented property annually – only 0.2% of mean annual rents. Landlords are expected to benefit from our reforms too – we estimate a gross benefit to landlords of £9 per property per year.

Following Royal Assent of the Bill, we will allow time for a smooth transition to the new system. We will support tenants, landlords and agents to understand and adjust to the new rules.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that rent review tribunals have access to sector-specific data on market rents in retirement communities.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill will enable tenants to challenge above-market rent increases through the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

The Tribunal has the relevant expertise to determine what the market rent should be and will be able to take into account the special characteristics of Integrated Retirement Communities in doing so.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that rental prices remain affordable; and whether she has considered mechanisms to stabilise rents.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will empower private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable within-tenancy rent increases.

The government has been clear it does not support the introduction of rent controls, including rent stabilisation measures. We believe they could make life more difficult for private renters, both in terms of incentivising landlords to increase rents routinely up to a cap where they might otherwise not have done, and in pushing many landlords out of the market, thereby making it even harder for renters to find a home they can afford.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will issue guidance to local authorities on allowing homeless people with pets into sheltered accommodation.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

If a household is in Temporary Accommodation, local authorities must ensure it is suitable in relation to the applicant and to all members of their household who normally reside with them, or who might reasonably be expected to reside with them and there is a right of appeal. Although it will not always be possible to make provision for pets in temporary accommodation, housing authorities should give careful consideration to this aspect when making provision for applicants who wish to retain their pet.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will overhaul the private rented sector, giving tenants the right to request a pet, which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse. Landlords will be able to request insurance to cover potential damage from pets if needed.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of requiring tenancy agreements to allow domestic appliances to be used at times that allow people living in (a) flats and (b) houses in multiple occupation to take advantage of off-peak energy tariffs.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill will require private rented sector landlords in England to provide new tenants with a written statement of terms, which in practice will usually be provided via a written tenancy agreement.

Regulations will be made before the reforms are commenced, setting out what this written information must include. The Department is currently engaging with interested parties to seek their views on this information and will consider utilities as part of that process.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help tackle unaffordable rent increases.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government recognises that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. The Renters’ Rights Bill empowers private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, with all rent increases taking place via an existing statutory process.

Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal. This will prevent unscrupulous landlords using rent increases as a backdoor means of eviction, while ensuring rents can be increased to reflect market rates.

The Bill also prohibits rental bidding practices and landlords demanding large amounts of rent in advance.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support disabled people living in private rented accommodation to secure adaptations to make their homes (a) safe and (b) suitable for their needs.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Government recognises how important home adaptations are in enabling disabled people to live as independently as possible in a safe and suitable environment. People of all ages and tenures, including in the private rented sector, can apply to their local authority for a Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG). The DFG is a capital grant administered by local authorities in England that can contribute towards meeting the cost of adapting an eligible person’s home. Government has awarded an £86 million in-year uplift to the DFG for 2024-25, bringing the total funding for 2024-25 to £711 million. Government has also confirmed £711 million for 2025/26.

The Renters’ Rights Bill, currently before Parliament, will empower disabled tenants to request the home adaptations that they need and to complain if their requests are unreasonably refused. By abolishing section 21, the Bill will remove the threat of retaliatory eviction. It will also establish a new PRS Landlord Ombudsman, which will have strong powers to put things right for tenants where their landlord has failed to resolve a legitimate complaint.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she plans to take to support renters.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill delivers our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

The Bill will improve the current system for the 11 million private renters and 2.3 million landlords in England. It will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.

The Bill was introduced in the House of Commons on 11 September 2024 and is now progressing through the House of Lords. Further detail on the measures in the Bill can be found in the relevant guidance on gov.uk here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/guide-to-the-renters-rights-bill/guide-to-the-renters-rights-bill#prohibiting-rental-discrimination.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether the Renters' Rights Bill will place penalties on landlords who have been unable to sell their properties and want to re-rent.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill will introduce a new ground for possession for landlords who wish to sell their property. To prevent abuse of this ground, landlords will not be able to market or re-let their property for twelve months after using the selling ground. This will remove the financial incentive to landlords from misusing the grounds and evicting a tenant with the intention to re-let at a higher rent.

Once the legislation is in place, landlords could be given a fine of up to £40,000 by local councils if they market or re-let their properties within twelve months of using the moving and selling grounds. Tenants will also be able to seek Rent Repayment Orders for this offence. Tenants will be able toc challenge evictions in court if they believe the landlord is misusing the grounds. If this happens, the landlord will need demonstrate that their intention to sell or move in is genuine.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the adequacy of the resources local authority enforcement teams (a) currently have and (b) will need to implement the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

I refer my hon. Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 32068 on 5 March 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent discussions she has had with local authorities on improving the collection of fines issued to rogue landlords; and if she will bring forward legislative proposals to devolve more powers to local authorities to help enforce the collection of such fines.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

My Department engages regularly with local authorities and other stakeholders on how enforcement against rogue landlords in the private rented sector might be strengthened. Local authorities have a range of tools they can use to support the collection of unpaid fines imposed on rogue landlords, including charging orders and bankruptcy proceedings. The Department will continue to engage with local authorities and consider how best practice can be shared as part of supporting the effective implementation of the Renters’ Rights Bill.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing mandatory annual reporting by councils on enforcement activity to ensure transparency and accountability.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department recognises the importance of good quality data on enforcement in the Private Rented Sector to support good decision making at both national and local level, and the monitoring and evaluation of Renters’ Rights Bill implementation.

The Bill places a new duty on local authorities to report to the Secretary of State on their activities under the legislation. We expect to start formally collecting data from local authorities on enforcement activity in the 2026/27 financial year.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment she has made of the potential impact of rent increases on recent trends in the level of tenants being evicted.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The English Housing Survey found that in 2023-24 just under a third of private renters (32%) reported finding it either fairly or very difficult to afford their rent. This is an increase on the proportion seen in 2022-23 (29%), and pre-pandemic (27%).

The English Private Landlord Survey in 2023-24 also found that one of the most common reasons for a landlord evicting a tenant was rent arrears (42%).

The government recognises that paying rent is likely to be a tenant’s biggest monthly expense. The Renters’ Rights Bill empowers private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, with all rent increases taking place via an existing statutory process.

Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal. This will prevent unscrupulous landlords using rent increases as a backdoor means of eviction, while ensuring rents can be increased to reflect market rates.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that house prices and rental costs remain affordable.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Boosting the supply of homes across all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability. This is why the Government’s Plan for Change includes the ambitious milestone of delivering 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament.

We are also committed to delivering the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation. At the Budget, the Chancellor announced a cash injection of £500 million to the Affordable Homes Programme to deliver up to 5,000 additional affordable homes.

We will set out details of new investment to succeed the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme at the Spending Review. This investment will deliver a mix of homes for sub-market rent and homeownership, with a particular focus on delivering homes for Social Rent.

The Government has also committed to introducing a permanent, comprehensive mortgage guarantee scheme to support first-time buyers who struggle to save for a large deposit from tenants looking to secure a tenancy.

We are taking action on affordability in the private rented sector through the Renters’ Rights Bill which will empower tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, as well as end the practice of rental bidding and prohibit landlords from demanding more than one month’s rent in advance.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department will take to ensure local authorities are adequately resourced to improve standards in the private rented sector.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Through the Renters’ Rights Bill, the government is strengthening local authorities’ enforcement powers and extending and increasing ring-fenced civil penalties to support a ‘polluter pays’ approach.

In accordance with the New Burdens Doctrine, we will ensure additional net costs on local authorities created by our reforms are fully funded.

We will continue to explore how best we can create a sustainable funding system for private rented sector enforcement over the long-term, including through fees.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 22 January 2025 to Question 24267 on Homelessness: Departmental Coordination, what assessment she has made of the merits of inviting DEFRA to the Department's Inter-Ministerial Group on Homelessness and Rough Sleeping.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across the key government departments with the greatest impact on homelessness to develop a long-term strategy, and an Expert Group bringing together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector. We continue to engage with DEFRA on measures as part of the development of our long-term housing strategy. We are also delivering a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing this year by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total funding to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

Further information on the allocations of homelessness grant funding in the 2025/26 financial year can be found in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-allocations-2025-to-2026

The Government is also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including the delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. And the Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made on the potential impact of addressing rural homelessness on preventing those who experience homelessness travelling to urban areas to seek support.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across the key government departments with the greatest impact on homelessness to develop a long-term strategy, and an Expert Group bringing together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector. We continue to engage with DEFRA on measures as part of the development of our long-term housing strategy. We are also delivering a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing this year by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total funding to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

Further information on the allocations of homelessness grant funding in the 2025/26 financial year can be found in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-allocations-2025-to-2026

The Government is also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including the delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. And the Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Government is taking to create a dedicated Youth Chapter in its Homelessness Strategy to address the specific needs of young people facing homelessness.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across the key government departments with the greatest impact on homelessness to develop a long-term strategy, and an Expert Group bringing together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector. We continue to engage with DEFRA on measures as part of the development of our long-term housing strategy. We are also delivering a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing this year by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total funding to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

Further information on the allocations of homelessness grant funding in the 2025/26 financial year can be found in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-allocations-2025-to-2026

The Government is also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including the delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. And the Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to end homelessness; and what steps she plans to take to involve people with lived experience.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across the key government departments with the greatest impact on homelessness to develop a long-term strategy, and an Expert Group bringing together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector. We continue to engage with DEFRA on measures as part of the development of our long-term housing strategy. We are also delivering a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing this year by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total funding to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

Further information on the allocations of homelessness grant funding in the 2025/26 financial year can be found in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-allocations-2025-to-2026

The Government is also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including the delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. And the Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to help reduce (a) homelessness and (b) the number of children in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across the key government departments with the greatest impact on homelessness to develop a long-term strategy, and an Expert Group bringing together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector. We continue to engage with DEFRA on measures as part of the development of our long-term housing strategy. We are also delivering a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing this year by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total funding to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

Further information on the allocations of homelessness grant funding in the 2025/26 financial year can be found in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-allocations-2025-to-2026

The Government is also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including the delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. And the Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to reduce homelessness in Oxfordshire.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across the key government departments with the greatest impact on homelessness to develop a long-term strategy, and an Expert Group bringing together representatives from across the homelessness and rough sleeping sector. We continue to engage with DEFRA on measures as part of the development of our long-term housing strategy. We are also delivering a number of lived experience forums to ensure that the voices of those with lived experience are reflected in the homelessness strategy.

We are already taking the first steps to get back on track to ending homelessness. As announced at the Budget, grant funding for homelessness services is increasing this year by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total funding to nearly £1 billion in 2025/26.

Further information on the allocations of homelessness grant funding in the 2025/26 financial year can be found in the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/homelessness-prevention-grant-allocations-2025-to-2026

The Government is also tackling the root causes of homelessness, including the delivery of the biggest increase in social and affordable housebuilding in a generation and building 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. And the Renters’ Rights Bill will abolish Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions, prevent private renters being exploited and discriminated against, and empower people to challenge unreasonable rent increases.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to tackle unsafe living conditions in privately rented properties.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to ensuring that privately rented properties are safe, decent and warm.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will apply ‘Awaab’s Law’ to the private rented sector, allowing us to set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords must take action to make homes safe where they contain significant hazards, such as damp and mould. This will ensure that all renters in England are empowered to challenge dangerous conditions.

The Bill will also allow us to apply a Decent Homes Standard - a technical standard setting out minimum decency requirements - to the private rented sector for the first time.

It provides local authorities with powers to enforce this standard, as well as strengthening their existing powers in relation to hazards. This includes introducing new financial penalties of up to £7,000 for landlords who have failed to take reasonably practicable steps to keep their properties free of serious hazards.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to address the failures in remedial work to combat mould in rented properties, in the context of the associated health risks.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to ensuring that rented homes are safe, decent, warm, and free from damp and mould.

The Deputy Prime Minister made a Written Ministerial Statement on 6 February (HCWS423) confirming that the government will bring Awaab’s Law into force for damp and mould in social housing in October this year. The Renters’ Rights Bill, which is currently progressing through the House of Lords, will apply Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector.

Social housing tenants who have already reported a problem to their landlord about damp and mould and who are dissatisfied with the response can make a complaint to the Housing Ombudsman. Through the Renters’ Rights Bill, we are introducing a new Private Rented Sector Landlord Ombudsman Service which will be mandatory for nearly all private landlords to join.

In addition, all tenants who think their house or flat is in a seriously dangerous condition can take their landlords to court under the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act 2018.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make an assessment of the reason that only 7% of Housing, Health and Safety Ratings System (HHSRS) inspections led to an Improvement Notice being served.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is committed to making sure homes are safe, decent and warm.

Local housing authorities have powers to take a proactive approach to enforcement against unacceptable conditions in rented housing.

Improvement notices are just one of the types of enforcement action that can be taken by local authorities in respect of hazards. Local authorities can use informal as well as formal methods to secure compliance following inspections. Through the Renters’ Rights Bill we are strengthening local authorities’ enforcement powers, including a new power to issue fines of up to £7,000 where a landlord has not taken reasonably practicable steps to remove category 1 hazards from the property.

A review of the Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS) was published in September 2022. The government is considering the outcomes of this review, in line with wider recommendations from the Grenfell Inquiry Report to make sure that the guidance is as effective and accessible as possible.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to introduce a moratorium on Section 21 eviction notices until Parliamentary consideration of the Renters' Reform Bill is concluded.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill had its second reading in the House of Lords on Tuesday 4 February. The Bill delivers the government’s manifesto commitment to overhaul the regulation of the private rented sector, including by abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions.

We want to see tenants benefit from these reforms as quickly as possible. We have therefore determined to introduce the new tenancy system for the private rented sector in one stage. Upon the commencement date, the new tenancy system will apply to all private tenancies – existing tenancies will become periodic, and any new tenancies will be governed by the new rules.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what consideration they have given to restricting or banning estate agents from collecting rent commission one year in advance, in line with the proposed restriction on landlords requesting upfront rent payments as set out in the Renters' Rights Bill.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

There are already protections in place to ensure that both tenants and landlords are treated fairly by letting agents. This includes the Tenant Fees Act 2019 which bans most letting fees and caps tenancy deposits paid by tenants in the private rented sector.

In addition, the Renters’ Rights Bill will prohibit landlords from requiring more than one month's rent in advance from tenants looking to secure a tenancy. This unfair practice can encourage prospective tenants to stretch their finances to the limit or prevent them from accessing the private rented sector altogether.

This measure does not apply to the fee structures agreed between landlords and property agents.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure councils have the resources needed to provide safe, stable housing for homeless families.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Homelessness levels are far too high. This can have a devastating impact on those affected. The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.

Homelessness legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.

In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.

The Government is clear that, in the short-term, we must prioritise eliminating the worst forms of temporary accommodation such as families in Bed and Breakfast (B&B), other than in genuine emergencies. We have also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of B&B accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.

We are also taking action to improve standards across the housing sector, including temporary accommodation. The Renters’ Rights Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector which will set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards, including damp and mould. We plan to consult on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation.

Through the Renters’ Rights Bill the government has also introduced powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. Included in that clause is a power to bring Temporary Accommodation into scope of the Decent Homes Standard. The government’s intention is that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to TA, subject to consultation on the detail of the new standard, including how applicable it is to TA.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking any steps to (a) identify and (b) tackle fraudulent activity by (i) landlords and (ii) freeholders.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The reforms introduced in the Renters’ Rights Bill will be underpinned by an effective, consistent and proportionate enforcement framework.

We are extending councils’ powers to collect and retain revenue for future enforcement work from financial penalties against landlords in the private rented sector who flout the rules. Initial or minor non-compliance will incur a civil penalty of up to £7,000 and serious, persistent or repeat non-compliance a civil penalty of up to £40,000, with the alternative of a criminal prosecution.

We are also providing local authorities with a range of new investigatory powers which will allow them to enforce our new reforms, including powers to require information from relevant persons and any persons and powers of entry to business and residential premises.

The Remediation Acceleration Plan published in December 2024 committed the government to supporting regulators to hold bad actors – whether freeholders or landlords – to account in relation to fixing dangerous buildings, including via robust new powers to enforce remediation.

Freeholders who breach the terms of their lease, or fail to hold service charge monies in a trust fund, may be challenged by leaseholders in the courts.

Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:

To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, what steps his Department is taking to protect private renters from potential evictions and rent hikes as unintended consequences of mandating all private rented accommodation meets EPC C by 2030.

Answered by Miatta Fahnbulleh - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Energy Security and Net Zero)

Government is consulting on increasing minimum energy efficiency standards in the domestic private rented sector. The Renters’ Rights Bill will also put in place new regulations to protect tenants. This includes providing stronger protections to ensure that tenants are able to appeal excessive above-market rents, abolishing Section 21 ‘no fault evictions’, and moving to a simpler tenancy structure where all assured tenancies are periodic. These measures provide more security for tenants and enable them to challenge poor practice and unfair rent increases without fear of eviction.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many single parents with more than two children have been evicted through a Section 21 notice in each year since 2015.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department does not hold granular data on Section 21 evictions, either year by year or by the demographics of those affected.

However, the English Private Landlord Survey 2024 indicated that Section 21 notices are the most common way landlords evict tenants, and we know that chronic insecurity in the private rented sector has real-life consequences for individuals and families, including single parents.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including the long-delayed abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The Bill will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many single parents that have been evicted through a Section 21 notice in each year since 2015.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department does not hold granular data on Section 21 evictions, either year by year or by the demographics of those affected.

However, the English Private Landlord Survey 2024 indicated that Section 21 notices are the most common way landlords evict tenants, and we know that chronic insecurity in the private rented sector has real-life consequences for individuals and families, including single parents.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including the long-delayed abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The Bill will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, how many Section 21 evictions have taken place in each year since 2015.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Department does not hold granular data on Section 21 evictions, either year by year or by the demographics of those affected.

However, the English Private Landlord Survey 2024 indicated that Section 21 notices are the most common way landlords evict tenants, and we know that chronic insecurity in the private rented sector has real-life consequences for individuals and families, including single parents.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including the long-delayed abolition of Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The Bill will give renters much greater security and stability so they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities, and avoid the risk of homelessness.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to help improve the quality of housing stock in Heywood and Middleton North constituency.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Everyone deserves to live in a decent, safe and warm home. The government is therefore bringing forward a consultation in early 2025, setting out plans for a reformed Decent Homes Standard that will apply to both the social and private rented sectors to ensure safe and secure housing is the standard across the country.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will also drive significant improvements to conditions in the private rented sector. Ensuring landlords adhere to a legally binding Decent Homes Standard and extending ‘Awaab’s Law’ to private landlords will reduce the number of poor-quality privately rented homes and empower tenants to raise concerns about damp, dangerous and cold homes.

Regarding new homes, the Building Safety Act created a power to mandate, for the first time, the requirement that all newly built homes be sold with a new build warranty. The government is carefully considering next steps regarding commencement of this power.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps she is taking to ensure that the provisions of the Renter's Rights Bill do not negatively impact students from (a) Northern Ireland and (b) other devolved nations renting accommodation in England.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

All tenants renting privately in England, including students, will benefit from the protections in the Renters’ Rights Bill, wherever they are from.

The abolition of section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions will end chronic insecurity in the private rented sector, and the abolition of fixed term tenancies will enable tenants to leave tenancies by giving two months’ notice, ending the injustice of being trapped paying rent for substandard properties or unable to respond to their changing circumstances.

We recognise the cyclical nature of the student lettings market, which is why the Bill introduces a new mandatory ground for possession which will allow landlords renting Houses of Multiple Occupation (HMO) to full time students in England to seek possession ahead of each new academic year, facilitating the ongoing yearly cycle of short-term student tenancies and ensuring there is a supply of properties for incoming groups of students.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the end of fixed term tenancies on student accommodation in the private rented sector.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

We want all tenants renting privately, including students, to benefit from the increased security and flexibility the Renters’ Rights Bill will provide.

Students will benefit from the removal of fixed term tenancies. Fixed terms mean that renters are obliged to pay rent regardless of whether a property is up to standard, and they reduce renters’ flexibility to move when they need to. The government is clear that there is no place for fixed terms in the future assured tenancy system.

To facilitate the yearly cycle of short-term student tenancies, the Bill introduces a new ground for possession which will allow landlords renting to full-time students in Houses of Multiple Occupation to seek possession ahead of each new academic year.

The department has engaged with a range of stakeholders in the student accommodation market and will continue to do so.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to remove restrictions on short-term lets for residential flats following the provision in the Renters' Rights Bill to introduce periodic tenancies.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have no plans to remove restrictions on short-term lets for residential flats. The Renters’ Rights Bill includes a provision to ensure landlords will not be able to evict tenants simply to turn the property into a holiday let. We are considering what additional powers we might give local authorities to enable them to respond to the pressures created by short-term lets.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to APPG for Households in Temporary Accommodation's report entitled child mortality in temporary accommodation, published on 28 January 2025, what steps her Department is taking to stop child deaths in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

These statistics are shocking. Homelessness levels are far too high and we are taking action to fix the current system that has left too many families without security or stability.

The Homelessness Code of Guidance is clear that temporary accommodation should not be considered suitable for a family with children under 2 if there is not enough space for a cot and that housing authorities should support families to secure a cot where needed. The legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.

As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.

In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.

The Government has also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of Bed and Breakfast accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.

We are also taking action to improve standards across the housing sector, including temporary accommodation. The Renters’ Rights Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector which will set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards, including damp and mould. We plan to consult on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation.

Through the Renters’ Rights Bill the government has also introduced powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. Included in that clause is a power to bring Temporary Accommodation into scope of the Decent Homes Standard. The government’s intention is that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to TA, subject to consultation on the detail of the new standard, including how applicable it is to TA.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps the Department is taking to support local authorities with the cost of placing people in temporary accommodation.

Answered by Rushanara Ali - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

These statistics are shocking. Homelessness levels are far too high and we are taking action to fix the current system that has left too many families without security or stability.

The Homelessness Code of Guidance is clear that temporary accommodation should not be considered suitable for a family with children under 2 if there is not enough space for a cot and that housing authorities should support families to secure a cot where needed. The legislation is clear that all temporary accommodation must be suitable, and local authorities should keep the suitability of accommodation under review. Where an individual feels that the council has applied their statutory duties incorrectly, they can take action in the courts or bring their concerns to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.

The Deputy Prime Minister is leading cross-government work to deliver the long-term solutions we need to get us back on track to ending all forms of homelessness. This includes chairing a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, bringing together ministers from across government to develop a long-term strategy.

As announced at the Budget, funding for homelessness services has been increased by £233 million compared to last year (2024/25). This increased spending will help to prevent rises in the number of families in temporary accommodation and help to prevent rough sleeping. This brings total Homelessness spend to nearly £1 billion in 25/26, a record level of funding.

In addition, the £1.2 billion Local Authority Housing Fund will provide capital funding directly to English councils and is expected to provide up to 7,000 homes by 2026. It will create a lasting asset for UK nationals by building a sustainable stock of affordable housing and better-quality temporary accommodation for local communities.

The Government has also launched Emergency Accommodation Reduction Pilots, backed by £5 million, to work with 20 local councils with the highest use of Bed and Breakfast accommodation for homeless families. This will support LAs to move families into more suitable accommodation.

We are also taking action to improve standards across the housing sector, including temporary accommodation. The Renters’ Rights Bill will extend Awaab’s Law to the private rented sector which will set clear legal expectations about the timeframes within which landlords in the private rented sector must make homes safe where they contain serious hazards, including damp and mould. We plan to consult on how best to apply Awaab’s Law to temporary accommodation.

Through the Renters’ Rights Bill the government has also introduced powers to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector. Included in that clause is a power to bring Temporary Accommodation into scope of the Decent Homes Standard. The government’s intention is that the Decent Homes Standard should apply to TA, subject to consultation on the detail of the new standard, including how applicable it is to TA.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to ensure housing associations provide clear and consistent communication during tenancy transitions; and what steps she is taking to support tenants facing (a) rent increases and (b) upfront payment requirements.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Under the Transparency, Influence and Accountability Standard set by the independent Regulator of Social Housing, registered providers must ensure that communication with and information for tenants is clear, accessible, relevant, timely and appropriate to the diverse needs of tenants.

Under the new consumer regulation regime, the Regulator proactively seeks evidence that providers are delivering the outcomes set by the standards.

In terms of support with rent increases: if eligible, tenants of housing associations can receive Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit to help pay their rent. Support is also available through Discretionary Housing Payments, which are delivered via local authorities.

The government recently consulted on a future long-term rent settlement, inviting views on a range of issues relating to social housing rent policy.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will prohibit private registered providers, as well as private landlords, from requiring or accepting any payment of rent before an assured tenancy has been entered into.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if she will make it her policy to prohibit landlords from requiring more than one month's rent in advance.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill already makes such provision. I refer the hon. Member to the Report Stage proceedings on 14 January 2025.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 17 December 2024 to Question 18555 on Asylum: Hotels, what assessment her Department has made of the potential effect on the (a) first time buyer and (b) private rental market of housing asylum seekers in rented accommodation.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government is determined to address the dire inheritance left by its predecessor and restore order to the asylum and immigration systems, delivering lower net migration.

The Home Office has a set of Asylum Accommodation Plans which set out the approach to the procurement and occupancy of Dispersal Accommodation across the UK. They help ensure the Home Office continues to meet its statutory responsibilities to support asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute, while also carefully considering the impact on local areas.

The plans are underpinned by an indexing tool which provides a flexible, transparent evidence-base for the dispersal of the national asylum-seeking population to ensure equity remains at the core.

The factors affecting supply and demand in the private rented sector are complex and difficult to disentangle. As well as demographic change, they include house prices, rent levels, taxation policy, interest rates, and the movement of tenants into homeownership and social rented housing. It is not possible to isolate the specific impact of each of these factors.

The most sustainable long-term method to improve housing affordability and help people into homeownership is to increase the supply of housing. That is why we have committed to deliver 1.5 million safe and decent homes in this Parliament as part of our Plan for Change.

The Renters’ Rights Bill will overhaul the experience of private renting in England, providing greater security and stability for tenants.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether her Department is taking steps to make renting easier for people with pets.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill will give tenants the right to request a pet, which landlords must consider and cannot unreasonably refuse.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have formulated an evaluation plan for the Renters’ Rights Bill; and if so, what are their outcome measures and evidence gaps, and how the proposed landlord database will support the evaluation plan in its design and contents.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

We have set out in our Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment our plans for a phased approach to monitoring and evaluating the legislation, in line with the Department’s Evaluation Strategy.

During the preparation phase we will develop further the framework for evaluating the outcomes we expect to see, and to identify and resolve any data gaps. A range of existing data, and new data generated from the reforms themselves, will be used for evaluation. This will include data from the Private Rented Sector Database.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment her Department has made of the potential merits of (a) limiting rent increases, (b) enhancing requirements for landlord entry on the Private Rented Sector Database, (c) restricting advance rent demands, (d) tightening conditions for requesting guarantors and (e) other measures to better protect renters while ensuring a balanced approach to landlord responsibilities.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill will transform the experience of private renting in England. It will modernise the regulation of the private rented sector, levelling decisively the playing field between landlord and tenant.

It will empower renters by providing them with greater security, rights and protections so that they can stay in their homes for longer, build lives in their communities and avoid the risk of homelessness. It will ensure that we can drive up the quality of privately rented housing so that renters have access to good-quality and safe homes as a matter of course. It will also allow us to crack down on the minority of unscrupulous landlords who exploit, mistreat or discriminate against renters.

The Bill will also provide tangible benefits for responsible landlords who provide high-quality homes and a good service to their tenants, ensuring they enjoy simpler regulation and clear and expanded possession grounds, so that they can regain their properties quickly when necessary.

The Bill will empower private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases. This will prevent unscrupulous landlords using rent increases as a backdoor means of eviction, while ensuring landlords can increase rents to reflect market rates.

Measures in the Bill mean a landlord will only be able to require up to one month's rent between a tenancy agreement being signed and that tenancy beginning. This will end an unfair practice which can place considerable financial strain on tenants and excludes some from renting altogether.

It will also require all private landlords letting residential property in England to register with the Private Rented Sector Database. We expect these landlords will include data about the ownership and standard of their properties as part of their entries, and we are exploring the feasibility of collecting a wider range of more tenancy-focused information. We will stipulate the specific requirements in regulations.

The Bill does not limit the ability of landlords to request a guarantor. The use of guarantors can support people renting for the first time to access the private rented sector. We will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders about any barriers to entering the private rented sector.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what they steps they are taking to improve affordability of tenancies in the private rented sector.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

The Renters’ Rights Bill empowers private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, with all rent increases taking place via an existing statutory process. Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal.

The Bill also takes practical steps to end the practices of rental bidding and landlords demanding large amounts of rent in advance. These unfair practices pit tenants against one another, encouraging them to either stretch their finances to the limit or prevent them from accessing the private rented sector altogether.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, steps her Department is taking to help improve housing standards in the private rented sector.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill includes provisions that will apply a Decent Homes Standard to the private rented sector for the first time and ensure that local councils have proportionate and effective enforcement powers. We are also introducing Awaab’s Law into the private rented sector. We will launch a consultation this year on the content of the Decent Homes Standard for social and privately rented homes.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of the Renters' Rights Bill on levels of inflation in (a) the next six months and (b) the six months following the commencement of the Bill's provisions.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The government published a Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment on 22 November 2024, which indicated that a landlords’ ability to increase rents is highly variable and depends on supply and demand as well as wider market conditions, including the quality of their property compared to others in the local area. The evidence also shows that landlords value good tenants – and are therefore less likely to raise rents for sitting tenants.

In addition, for landlords that already provide decent homes and a prompt repair service to their tenants, the costs of our reforms are estimated to be just £22 per rented property annually – only 0.2% of mean annual rents.

We have set out how we are developing our monitoring and evaluation approach for the reforms in the Renters’ Rights Bill Impact Assessment. We will continue to monitor trends across the private rented sector to understand how it is responding to our reforms.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, whether private landlords will be required to pay an ongoing fee to register with the (a) Private Rented Sector database and (b) private rented sector landlord ombudsman in addition to licensing fees payable to local authorities with selective licensing requirements.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The Renters’ Rights Bill includes provisions for the Private Rented Sector Database to be funded through fees charged to private landlords when they register. The new service will bring substantial benefits to landlords – providing a single source of information about their legal responsibilities and helping them showcase their compliance. The fees charged will also support local councils to enforce against unscrupulous landlords who undercut the responsible majority.  Further details on fees will be set out in secondary legislation. We will take steps to make sure costs remain reasonable, proportionate, and sustainable.

Landlords will be required to pay for membership of the PRS Landlord Ombudsman. This is in line with practice across other sectors where there are ombudsmen already established, including for social landlords who currently pay £8.03 per unit annually. The Ombudsman will set the fee on the basis of their running costs and service provision and the government will ensure that the fee is proportionate and good value. We will seek to maximise operational efficiency of the database service and ombudsman, including through sharing of data.

The Private Rented Sector Database will operate alongside selective licensing to drive improvement in standards in the private rented sector, not as a replacement for these schemes. We will continue to review the use of selective licensing as we implement the Private Rented Sector Database. We are clear in guidance that local authorities should be mindful of any cost impacts to landlords, particularly those who are already fully compliant with their obligations.

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps her Department is taking to support local councils to tackle antisocial behaviour within council homes.

Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

Social landlords, including local councils, already have a range of powers and enforcement tools to tackle anti-social behaviour including powers to evict perpetrators. We expect landlords to use those powers promptly and proportionately, putting the needs of victims at the heart of their response. The government is strengthening these powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill for private registered providers.

Tackling anti-social behaviour is a top priority for this government, and a key part of our Safer Streets Mission. We will crack down on those making neighbourhoods feel unsafe and unwelcoming by introducing the new Respect Order, which local authorities will be able to apply for and which will carry tough sanctions and penalties for persistent adult offenders. The police, local authorities and social landlords may already apply for a Civil Injunction under Section 1 of the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014 to prevent behaviour that is causing housing-related nuisance and annoyance.

Found: Renters’ Rights Bill: HL Bill 60 of 2024–25

Found: social care stable homes built on love consultation 12 Care_Leavers_and_Homelessness.pdf 13 renters-rights bill

Found: implementation and impact of reforms to the private rented sector in Scotland, to inform its own Renters Rights Bill

Found: implementation and impact of reforms to the private rented sector in Scotland, to inform its own Renters Rights Bill

Found: with content designers to draft guidance on the reforms that will come into effect once the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: with content designers to draft guidance on the reforms that will come into effect once the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: Baroness Taylor 15/10/2024 Generation Rent To discuss the Renters' Rights Bill Baroness Taylor 16/10/

Found: We are also taking action to improve standards for privately rented homes through the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: We are also taking action to improve standards for privately rented homes through the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: This comes as the government’s landmark Renters’ Rights Bill remains on track to become law this year

Found: This government will: Introduce powers through the Renters’ Rights Bill to extend Awaab’s Law to the

Found: no fault’ evictions, will be abolished for new and existing tenancies through the landmark Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill will give tenants the stability they deserve, set clear legal standards for

Found: check for compliance before potentially proposing this requirement. 4 A summary of the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: In the longer term, we expect the Tenancy Reform measures in the Renters Rights Bill, which will apply

Found: considered powers to make subordinate legislation within devolved competence in 2 LCMs— • Renters' Rights Bill

Found: Government, Housing and Planning Committee Report on a Legislative Consent Memorandum (LCM) for the Renters' Rights Bill

Found: Social housing • Affordable Homes Programme • Housing quality • Private rented sector and Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: Energy Bill (original and first supplementary memorandum) 6 February 2025 Consent granted Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: including provisions which currently appear within UK Government legislation, such as within the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: including provisions which currently appear within UK Government legislation, such as within the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (Memorandum No. 2) on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: 1 SUPPLEMENTARY LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM (MEMORANDUM NO 2) RENTERS’ RIGHTS BILL 1.

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill (“the Bill”) was introduced in the House of Commons on 11 September 2024.

Found: to consider and report on the Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum (No.2) on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters’ Rights Bill Welsh Government

Found: Constitution Committee to consider and report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: The Renters’ Rights Bill (“the Bill”) was introduced in the House of Commons on 11 September 2024.

Found: 1 LEGISLATIVE CONSENT MEMORANDUM RENTERS’ RIGHTS BILL 1) This legislative consent memorandum

Found: Constitution Committee to consider and report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: Constitution Committee to consider and report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: and Constitution Committee The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: This is very similar to the proposal being brought forward by the UK Government in the Renters Rights Bill

Found: We note that the UK Government’s Renters’ Rights Bill, introduced on 11 September 2024, proposes to

Found: and Constitution Committee, The Welsh Government’s Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Found: The Welsh Government’s Supplementary Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Renters’ Rights Bill

Question

When will the provisions for keeping pets from the UK Government Renters' Rights Bill be implemented in Wales?

Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government

The provisions relating to pets in the UK Government Renters’ Rights Bill will not apply to Wales.

Welsh Government will set out proposals relating to renting with pets in our White Paper on Adequate Housing, Fair Rents, and Affordability, which is due to be published in the next few days.

Question

What provisions in relation to pets in the UK Government Renters' Rights Bill does the Cabinet Secretary intend to make applicable to Wales?

Answered by Cabinet Secretary for Housing and Local Government

The provisions relating to pets in the UK Government Renters’ Rights Bill will not apply to Wales.

Welsh Government will set out proposals relating to renting with pets in our White Paper on Adequate Housing, Fair Rents, and Affordability, which is due to be published in the next few days.