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.

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.