Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the potential impact of abolishing assured fixed-term tenancies through the Renters’ Rights Bill; and whether they have (1) considered the possibility that the availability of long-term rental properties may decrease and (2) that tenants may decide under the new legislation, if enacted, to sign a tenancy agreement then immediately serve notice.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Renters’ Rights Bill will remove fixed term assured tenancies, to strengthen tenants’ rights and provide them with more flexibility.
Good landlords have nothing to fear from the reforms. The sector has doubled in size since the early 2000s and there is no evidence of an exodus since reform has been proposed.
Tenants are unlikely to end tenancies unless they absolutely have to. Moving house is expensive and disruptive. Where tenants do end tenancies, they will be required to provide landlords with two months’ notice, to give time to find new tenants.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of housing associations offering lifetime tenancies to social housing tenants on the housing market.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The majority of housing association tenants are lifetime tenants with assured tenancies, and therefore already enjoy a high security of tenure.
The Renters' Rights Bill will abolish fixed term assured tenancies and assured shorthold tenancies. This change will enhance the security and stability for the minority of tenants with private registered providers who currently lack assured (lifetime) tenancies. Landlords will also benefit from clear and expanded possession grounds to evict tenants in circumstances where that is justified and reasonable.
The government published its Impact Assessment for the Renters’ Rights Bill on 22 November 2024, following scrutiny from the Regulatory Policy Committee. The Impact Assessment received a ‘green’ rating, indicating it is ‘fit for purpose’.
The impact assessment can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what housing targets they have set for each London borough under the National Policy Planning Framework; whether these targets are mandatory; and whether they plan for them to remain in place for each borough if the overall target for London is met.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The responsibility for the overall distribution of housing need in London lies with the Mayor, who considers an overall strategy for London's growth and development capacity through the statutory London Plan. Local authorities must assess and plan how to meet their local housing targets over the plan period, justified by evidence on land availability and constraints on development.
The National Planning Policy Framework expects strategic policy-making authorities, like the Greater London Authority, to take account of the national standard method when assessing local housing need, which incorporates a baseline of local housing stock adjusted upwards to reflect local affordability pressures. The local housing need for each London borough as calculated through the national standard method can be found here on GOV.UK.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the merits of giving local authorities the power to act against short-term lets in London which cause problems, and of requiring short-term lets to obtain planning permission before going on the market.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Primary legislation provides that homes in London that are liable for council tax may be let for temporary sleeping accommodation for up to 90-nights in a calendar year. Planning permission is required to let for more than this number of nights. We have committed to introduce a register of short term lets which will help local authorities to apply and enforce these rules. We understand the challenges presented by short term lets and continue to consider further action.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will issue local authorities multi-year settlements to enable them to plan more efficiently and secure their long-term future.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
We are committed to providing a multi-year funding settlement starting in 2026-27. This will be the first multi-year settlement since 2016 and will provide local authorities with the certainty they need to focus on their priorities.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what support is available to landlords who are subject to additional costs imposed by councils under the selective licensing schemes.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities are responsible for assessing the impact of a selective licensing scheme on their area. This may include the impact of licence fees on local rents.
Local authorities have discretion to charge fees which cover the cost of running selective licensing schemes. They may also offer discounts on fees to reduce costs for landlords. The government expects local authorities to make details of these fees, along with the rationale behind their determination, transparent and readily accessible.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of introducing selective licensing on the cost of renting.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Local authorities are responsible for assessing the impact of a selective licensing scheme on their area. This may include the impact of licence fees on local rents.
Local authorities have discretion to charge fees which cover the cost of running selective licensing schemes. They may also offer discounts on fees to reduce costs for landlords. The government expects local authorities to make details of these fees, along with the rationale behind their determination, transparent and readily accessible.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of landlords leaving the private rental market on the rate of homelessness across London.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The most recent English Housing Survey results, published on 28 November 2024, show that proportion of private rented sector (PRS) households in London which are part of the private rental market has increased from 27.4% in 2018-19 to 31.8% in 2023-24. Over the past 5 years data on dwelling stock shows that there has been an increase in the number of PRS properties in London. Live tables on dwelling stock (including vacants) - GOV.UK
Our Renters’ Rights Bill will deliver our manifesto commitment to transform the experience of private renting, including by ending Section 21 ‘no fault’ evictions. The most recent homelessness statistics release reported between April and June 2024, 1,100 Londoners were put at risk of homelessness because they received a Section 21 eviction notice. By implementing the long overdue abolition of Section 21 evictions, this government 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.
However, homelessness levels in London and across the country remain far too high. This is why the government has committed to developing a new cross government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country to get us back on track to ending homelessness once and for all. This includes a dedicated Inter-Ministerial Group, chaired by the Deputy Prime Minister, bringing together ministers from across government.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact that the increase in national insurance will have on local councils and their services.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
I refer the Noble Lord to the answer to Question UIN 11851 on 8 November 2024.
Asked by: Lord Bailey of Paddington (Conservative - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what impact assessments they have made of the proposal for a Mayoral Development Corporation to pedestrianise Oxford Street, and what discussions they have had with Westminster City Council on this topic.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Responsibility for designating any area of land in Greater London as a Mayoral development area rests with the Mayor of London. Any future proposal for Oxford Street will be subject to a statutory consultation in line with the requirements of the Localism Act 2011. The government remains supportive of locally-led plans to revitalise Oxford Street and looks forward to working with the Mayor of London and local leaders to ensure Oxford Street remains a world-class retail destination.