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

To ask His Majesty's Government, in relation to paragraph 24 of Schedule 1 to the Renters' Rights Bill, whether the protection for tenants from enforcement of rent arrears in respect of delayed universal credit payments apply only in respect of the first universal credit payment; and if so, whether this is consistent with the wording of the Bill which does not state it is limited.

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

The Renters’ Rights Bill will introduce new protections for tenants who temporarily fall into rent arrears, supporting both parties by preventing tenancies which are otherwise viable from ending. We will protect tenants from eviction if their arrears are due to the timing of a relevant welfare payment. Tenants will not face mandatory eviction under Ground 8 if they breach the three months arrears threshold because they have not yet received a Universal Credit payment for housing costs which they have been assessed as entitled to.

As Universal Credit is assessed every month, the protection period will apply in any period between the end of an assessment period and the relevant Universal Credit payment, which can usually be up to five days.

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

To ask His Majesty's Government under what circumstances they expect the use of the powers in the Renters' Rights Bill to change the date from which a new rent is payable in rent appeal cases brought before First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber.

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

The government is committed to empowering tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, to protect tenants from undue financial hardship and prevent rent hikes being used as a form of backdoor eviction once Section 21 notices have been abolished.

We recognise that there is inherent uncertainty as to the volume of rent increase challenges that will be brought when the tenancy reforms in the Renters’ Rights Bill come into force. This is why we have put in place a proportionate safeguard for use in circumstances where it has become clear that the Tribunal system is on course to be overwhelmed.

We intend to use the power if the Tribunal appears at risk of being overwhelmed by a sharp increase in challenges and it has become necessary to avoid lengthy delays for genuine cases to be heard. It will be subject to the affirmative procedure, to allow appropriate parliamentary scrutiny.

Question to the Ministry of Justice:

To ask His Majesty's Government what is the average time for the First-tier Tribunal Property Chamber to consider, process and rule upon rent appeal cases brought by tenants.

Answered by Baroness Levitt - Parliamentary Under-Secretary (Ministry of Justice)

HM Courts & Tribunals Service does not hold the requested information centrally. To obtain this data would require a detailed analysis of the individual case records, which could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

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