Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
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 potential impact of the Renter's Rights Bill on the supply of private rented housing for people from each (a) income group and (b) geographic region.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government published an Impact Assessment for the Renters' Rights Bill on 22 November 2024. It received a 'Green' rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating that it is 'fit for purpose'.
While we acknowledge that it will take time for the sector to adjust to a significant change in regulation, we do not believe that our Renters’ Rights Bill will have a harmful impact on future rental supply.
Although landlords have been aware of successive governments’ plans to reform the private rented sector since 2019, the size of the sector as a whole has remained broadly stable since 2013-14.
The Bill will make sure good landlords have the confidence they need to continue to invest and operate in the sector. We will continue to work with good landlords and their representative associations throughout implementation.
Asked by: Ashley Fox (Conservative - Bridgwater)
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 private rented housing availability.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The government published an Impact Assessment for the Renters' Rights Bill on 22 November 2024. It received a 'Green' rating from the Regulatory Policy Committee, indicating that it is 'fit for purpose'.
While we acknowledge that it will take time for the sector to adjust to a significant change in regulation, we do not believe that our Renters’ Rights Bill will have a harmful impact on future rental supply.
Although landlords have been aware of successive governments’ plans to reform the private rented sector since 2019, the size of the sector as a whole has remained broadly stable since 2013-14.
The Bill will make sure good landlords have the confidence they need to continue to invest and operate in the sector. We will continue to work with good landlords and their representative associations throughout implementation.
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: Andrew Lewer (Conservative - Northampton South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when reforms to tenancy lengths under the provisions of the Renters (Reform) Bill will come into force for (a) existing tenancies and (b) new tenancies.
Answered by Jacob Young
We have committed to provide at least six months’ notice of our first implementation date after which all new tenancies will be periodic and governed by the new rules. To avoid a two-tier rental sector, and to make sure landlords and tenants are clear on their rights, all existing tenancies will transition to a new system on a second implementation date.
This phased implementation will support tenants, landlords and agents to adjust to and understand the new rules, while making sure that tenants can benefit from the new system as soon as reasonably possible. We will provide more details about our implementation plans in due course.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on what the average rental costs were for houses in multiple occupation in Lewisham East constituency in the last 12 months.
Answered by Jacob Young
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL2677 on 6 March 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 22233 on 22 April 2024. We are abolishing Section 21 evictions as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.
No information is held centrally on the average rental costs of houses in multiple occupation in Lewisham East.
Asked by: Janet Daby (Labour - Lewisham East)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps he is taking to reduce the number of section 21 evictions in Lewisham East constituency.
Answered by Jacob Young
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN HL2677 on 6 March 2024 and the answer to Question UIN 22233 on 22 April 2024. We are abolishing Section 21 evictions as part of the Renters (Reform) Bill.
No information is held centrally on the average rental costs of houses in multiple occupation in Lewisham East.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on the proportion of private rental properties that do not meet the decent homes standard; and what plans he has to help improve housing quality.
Answered by Jacob Young
The most recent data on properties in the private rented sector (PRS) that failed to meet the Decent Homes Standard (DHS) are published at: English Housing Survey 2022 to 2023: headline report (data on dwelling condition is in Chapter 4).
Through the Renters (Reform) Bill, we are legislating to apply the Decent Homes Standard to the PRS for the first time.
Asked by: Stephen Morgan (Labour - Portsmouth South)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment with Cabinet colleagues of the effectiveness of court processes for the repossession of rental properties before the commencement of the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Answered by Jacob Young
With regards to specialist housing courts and the impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on levels of demand on the courts, I refer the Hon Member to the answers given to Question UIN 203400 on 26 October 2023 and Question UIN 10066 on 25 January 2024.
The Government monitors possession claim actions in the county courts using the Mortgage and Landlord Possession Statistics published quarterly by the Ministry of Justice. We will set out further details shortly about how we will assess the operation of the courts in the context of the changes to possession processes which we are introducing through the Renters (Reform) Bill.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the impact of increased rental costs on tenants in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies
Although housing is a devolved matter the UK Government is supporting renters in Wales by increasing the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). From April 2024, the UK Government will be investing £1.2 billion increasing LHA rates to cover the lowest 30% of local market rents. Around 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit will gain nearly £800 per year on average in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25. In Wales, around 82,500 households are set to benefit from the boost.
This significant investment, taken together with the wider benefits uprating, will improve housing affordability for low-income households on benefits renting in the private sector, helping them afford their rent and reducing the risk of rent arrears and homelessness.
More broadly, the UK Government and Welsh Government are working closely to apply the prohibition against Blanket Ban practices in Wales. Through the Renters (Reform) Bill we will achieve our shared objective to make sure families with children and people who receive benefits can access homes in the private rented sector.
Moreover, the National Living wage will increase by 9.8% to £11.44 per hour for workers over 21 and the National Minimum wage will increase by 14.8% to £8.60 per hour for people aged 18-20. This will benefit 140,000 people in Wales and is further evidence of the support the UK Government is providing to support people with the cost of living.
Asked by: Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi (Labour - Slough)
Question to the Wales Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Wales, whether he has had discussions with the Welsh Government on the impact of increased rental costs on renters in Wales.
Answered by David T C Davies
Although housing is a devolved matter the UK Government is supporting renters in Wales by increasing the Local Housing Allowance (LHA). From April 2024, the UK Government will be investing £1.2 billion increasing LHA rates to cover the lowest 30% of local market rents. Around 1.6 million private renters in receipt of Housing Benefit or Universal Credit will gain nearly £800 per year on average in additional help towards their rental costs in 2024/25. In Wales, around 82,500 households are set to benefit from the boost.
This significant investment, taken together with the wider benefits uprating, will improve housing affordability for low-income households on benefits renting in the private sector, helping them afford their rent and reducing the risk of rent arrears and homelessness.
More broadly, the UK Government and Welsh Government are working closely to apply the prohibition against Blanket Ban practices in Wales. Through the Renters (Reform) Bill we will achieve our shared objective to make sure families with children and people who receive benefits can access homes in the private rented sector.
Moreover, the National Living wage will increase by 9.8% to £11.44 per hour for workers over 21 and the National Minimum wage will increase by 14.8% to £8.60 per hour for people aged 18-20. This will benefit 140,000 people in Wales and is further evidence of the support the UK Government is providing to support people with the cost of living.