Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether landlords will have to pay a fee (1) to use the proposed Private Rented Sector Database, and (2) for the purposes of enforcement of the Decent Homes Standard, under the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Renters’ Rights Bill includes provisions for the Private Rented Sector Database to be funded through fees charged to private landlords when they register. Further details on fees will be set out in secondary legislation. We will take steps to make sure costs remain reasonable, proportionate and sustainable.
The new service will bring substantial benefits to landlords – providing a single source of information about their legal responsibilities, helping them showcase their compliance. It will also support local councils to enforce against unscrupulous landlords who undercut the responsible majority.
The Bill also provides local councils with the ability to prosecute or issue civil penalties for offences linked to Decent Homes Standard failures. Income generated from civil penalties can be used to fund further housing enforcement.
In accordance with the New Burdens Doctrine, we will ensure that, where necessary, the net additional costs that may fall on local councils as a result of our proposed reforms are fully funded.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to abolish marriage value in property valuations.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 removes the requirement to pay marriage value in lease extensions and freehold acquisitions.
As set out in the Housing Minister’s Written Ministerial Statement on 21 November, the Government will act as quickly as possible to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the provisions of that Act.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - 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 large net migration on the private rented sector.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government will ensure the immigration system is fair and controlled, while also being clear that net migration must come down.
The factors affecting supply 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. While it is not possible to isolate the specific impact of each of these factors, it is important to recognise that the size of the private rented sector has doubled since 2002 to now be the second largest housing tenure. 4.7 million households rent privately, which is equivalent to 19% of the housing market – a figure which has remained relatively stable since 2013/14.
However, the Government recognises that the housing crisis we have inherited means that demand is currently outstripping the supply of properties available to let. This is why we will build 1.5m homes over this Parliament by taking bold action to reform our planning system, deliver a new generation of New Towns, and deliver the biggest increase in affordable housing for a generation.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to regulate property management companies.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government is committed to ensuring that those living in the rented and leasehold sectors are protected from abuse and poor service at the hands of unscrupulous property agents.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement of 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the Government is looking again at Lord Best’s 2019 report on regulating the property agent sector. As part of our response to this report, the Government will strengthen regulation of managing agents to drive up the standard of their service.
As a minimum, this should include mandatory professional qualifications which set a new basic standard that managing agents will be required to meet. We will consult on this matter next year.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government how the Decent Homes Standard is monitored and implemented.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
It is imperative that homes are decent, safe and warm. The Decent Homes Standard plays a key role in setting a minimum quality standard that all social homes should meet. The government is extending the Decent Homes Standard to apply to the private rented sector for the first time through the Renters’ Rights Bill.
In the social rented sector, landlords are held accountable for meeting the standard by the Regulator of Social Housing. Once applied in the private rented sector, local authorities will be responsible for enforcing the Decent Homes Standard.
Compliance with the Decent Homes Standard is monitored primarily through the English Housing Survey, which reports annually. The government also reviews a wider range of self-reported monitoring data provided by social housing providers.
The government will launch a consultation on an updated Decent Homes Standard next year.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an impact assessment for the Renters' Rights Bill on the supply of properties in the private rented sector.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
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 is available at the following link.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - 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 removing fixed-term assured tenancies.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Renters’ Rights Bill will remove fixed-term assured tenancies. Fixed-term tenancies mean renters are obliged to pay rent regardless of whether a property is up-to-standard, and they reduce flexibility to move in response to changing circumstances. Instead all tenancies will be periodic, with tenants able to give two months’ notice at any point.
The Government submitted the Impact Assessment for the Renters’ Rights Bill on 16 September 2024 to the Regulatory Policy Committee. The Government will publish the impact assessment in due course.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they will take to eradicate rough sleeping in England; and what is their timescale for doing so.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Homelessness and rough sleeping levels in England are far too high. This has a devastating impact on those affected and harms our communities.
We must address this and deliver long-term solutions. The Government is considering these issues carefully and is committed to putting Britain back on track to ending homelessness. To do this we will develop a new cross-government strategy, working with mayors and councils across the country.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to standardise Energy Performance Certificate assessments.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) are intended to provide prospective buyers and tenants with a guide to the energy costs of different properties, which is simple to understand and allows comparison between properties.
A standardised methodology is used in the assessments of EPCs. The current methodology can be found here. The software used to calculate EPC ratings in existing properties is the Reduced Data Standard Assessment Procedure (RdSAP).
Not all buildings are used in the same way, so the energy rating uses ‘standard occupancy’ assumptions which may be different from the way the building is used. We acknowledge that occupant behaviour is an important factor in determining the energy use of buildings. Encouraging occupants to use buildings more efficiently will be important in achieving the net zero target.
Asked by: Lord Truscott (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask His Majesty's Government, following the passage of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024, when they plan to deliver online calculators for lease extensions.
Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Government will provide homeowners with greater rights, powers and protections over their homes. We are committed to implementing the provisions of the Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024. The Government is also committed to further reform the leasehold system, enacting the remaining Law Commission recommendations relating to leasehold enfranchisement and the Right to Manage.
We will enforce measures to prescribe the rates to be used in enfranchisement valuation calculations, which determine the cost leaseholders must pay to extend a lease or acquire a freehold. This will allow leaseholders to understand how much it will cost to extend their lease or purchase their freehold upfront.