Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to protect the right to a fair reference for tenants in rented accommodation.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The reference process is a private matter between the parties involved and not something it would be appropriate for the Government to intervene in.
Landlords and letting agents may wish to obtain references from their prospective tenant’s former landlords or letting agent but cannot charge the tenant a fee for this process. As part of the referencing process, landlords may take into account various factors when deciding whether to let to a tenant, including previous or outstanding rent arrears. Where these factors have been adversely affected by circumstances arising from the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, we would encourage landlords and letting agents to be considerate of this when deciding whether to accept or recommend such tenants. When completing the referencing process, both the previous landlord and prospective tenant should therefore provide any necessary contextual information to aid these considerations. For example, this could include details of any voluntary arrangements or payment holidays which were agreed.
Asked by: Vicky Foxcroft (Labour - Lewisham, Deptford)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to support shielding tenants in private rented accommodation whose landlord requests that a third party access their property at short notice.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
Tenants have a right to the quiet enjoyment of their property and must be given at least 24 hours’ notice of any visit to the property. If a tenant is self-isolating, no work should be carried out in their home unless it is to remedy a direct risk that affects their safety or the safety of their household.
Landlords of clinically extremely vulnerable people can carry out routine repairs and inspections, provided the latest guidance on social distancing, working safely in people’s homes and guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable individuals is followed.
It remains a crime for a landlord to harass a tenant. Tenants who are concerned should contact their local authority or the police.
Asked by: Charles Walker (Conservative - Broxbourne)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to consult on his Department's proposals to tackle the issues relating to (a) rent arrears accrued as a result of the covid-19 outbreak in the private rental sector and (b) the associated risk of homelessness as a result of those arrears; and if he will seek the views of (i) Generation Rent, (ii) the Association of Residential Letting Agents, (iii) the National Residential Landlords Association, (iv) Shelter, (v) Crisis and (vi) the Citizens' Advice Bureau; and if he will make a statement.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders on different issues relating to the private and social rented sector, as well as closely monitoring the issues of rent arrears and the risk of homelessness in the private rented sector as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
The Government has established an unprecedented package of support to protect renters throughout the Covid-19 pandemic with, support for businesses to pay staff salaries and strengthening the welfare safety-net with over 9 billion boost to the welfare system. This includes an extra £1 billion to increase Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that they cover the lowest 30 per cent of market rents.
For those renters who require additional support, there is an existing £180 million of Government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments made available this year, an increase of £40 million from last year, which is for councils to distribute to support renters with housing costs.
This Government remains committed to tackling homelessness and ending rough sleeping and is clear that no one should be without a roof over their heads. We have provided £5.7 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19 which includes their work to support homeless people.
We are also providing a Flexible Homelessness Support Grant of £200 million to help local authorities plan and respond to their local homelessness pressures alongside delivering the Homelessness Reduction Grant of £63 million to implement the Homelessness Reduction Act, and to enable local authorities to do more to prevent and relieve homelessness in their areas.
Asked by: Diana Johnson (Labour - Kingston upon Hull North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the value of private housing rent arrears as a result of the covid-19 outbreak in (a) Hull and (b) England.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government has established an unprecedented package of support to protect renters throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, with support for businesses to pay staff salaries and strengthening the welfare safety-net with a nearly £9.3 billion boost to the welfare system. This includes an extra £1 billion to increase Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that they cover the lowest 30 per cent of market rents.
For those renters who require additional support, there is an existing £180 million of Government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments made available this year, an increase of £40 million from last year, which is for councils to distribute to support renters with housing costs.
The Department does not currently hold information on the value of private housing rent arrears in Hull and England as a result of the Covid-19 outbreak.
Asked by: Alexander Stafford (Conservative - Rother Valley)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to provide support for tenants in Rother Valley constituency who have built up rent arrears as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
To support renters and ensure they can continue to afford their housing costs, the Government has put in place an unprecedented support package, including support for business to pay staff salaries?through the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.?We have quickly and effectively boosted the welfare safety net by over £9 billion in 2020/21. These measures include increasing Universal Credit and Working Tax Credit by £1,040 a year for the next 12 months, and a significant investment in the Local Housing Allowance of nearly £1 billion, lifting rates to the 30th percentile from April this year. The Chancellors has recently announced the Government’s Winter Economy Plan which sets out further measures to support jobs and businesses.
For those who require additional support, Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) are available. DHPs can be paid to those entitled to Housing Benefit or the housing element of Universal Credit who face a shortfall in meeting their housing costs. As announced at the spending round for 2020/21, there is already £180 million in DHPs for local authorities to distribute for supporting renters with housing costs, including an additional £40 million to help tackle affordability pressures in the private rented sector.
To?further?protect renters over winter,?we have?legislated to?increase?notice periods to 6 months in all but most serious circumstances?and?asked bailiffs?not to carry out evictions?over Christmas or?in areas that are subject to a local lockdown?where?that includes a restriction on gatherings in homes.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what estimate he has made of the number of potential evictions in the private rented sector after the end of the covid-19 related eviction ban; and what support he is providing to (a) local authorities and (b) housing associations to rehouse people who have been so evicted.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government has established an unprecedented package of support to protect renters throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and will continue to support tenants and landlords as we head into winter.
To keep tenants in their homes over the winter, the Government has legislated to require landlords to give tenants six months’ notice before they can seek repossession, except in the most egregious cases.
Where possession cases do go to court, the judiciary will look to prioritise the most egregious cases such as those involving anti-social behaviour. New court rules have been introduced by HMCTS requiring landlords to set out any information they are aware of in relation to how their tenant, or any dependant of their tenant, has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Where this information is not provided, judges have the ability to adjourn proceedings. Additionally, bailiffs have been advised not enforce possession orders in places where local public health restrictions have been introduced by Government through legislation, or between 11 December 2020 to 11 January 2021.
This Government remains committed to tackling homelessness and ending rough sleeping and is clear that no one should be without a roof over their heads. We have provided £4.3 billion to help councils to manage the impacts of COVID-19 which includes their work to support homeless people, including £3.7 billion which is not ringfenced, and £600 million to support social care?and a further £3.2 million in emergency funding for local authorities to support vulnerable rough sleepers.
We are also providing a Flexible Homelessness Support Grant of £200 million to help local authorities plan and respond to their local homelessness pressures alongside delivering the Homelessness Reduction Grant of £63 million to implement the Homelessness Reduction Act and enable local authorities to do more to prevent and relieve homelessness in their areas.
Asked by: Grahame Morris (Labour - Easington)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 30 September 2020 to question 95062, if he will consult local government and industry experts on the potential merits of a Tenant Loan Scheme in England.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
We regularly engage with a range of stakeholders on different issues relating to the private rented sector, including on financial pressures. This Government has provided an unprecedented package of financial support to protect renters whose income has been affected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Notably, to help prevent people getting into financial hardship, we have increased the local housing allowance rate to the 30th percentile of local market rents in each area. This will remain in place throughout the Winter period until at least the end of March 2021. The increase will mean nearly £1 billion of additional support for private renters claiming Universal Credit or Housing Benefit in 2020/21 and benefits over 1 million households, including those in work. Claimants will gain on average an additional £600 this year in increased housing support.
The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has offered support for business to pay staff salaries, and the Chancellor’s recent announcement of the Government’s Winter Economy Plan now sets out further measures to support jobs and businesses. Finally, for those renters who require additional support, there is an existing £180 million of Government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments made available this year, an increase of £40 million from last year, which is for councils to distribute to support renters with housing costs.
These measures enable renters to continue paying their rent and we will closely monitor the ongoing impact of the pandemic on renters.
Asked by: Lord Jones of Cheltenham (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they are introducing to ensure that private renters whose income has been disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic and are at risk of eviction do not become homeless.
Answered by Lord Greenhalgh
The Government has established an unprecedented package of support to protect renters whose income has been affected throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. We have supported businesses to pay staff salaries and strengthened the welfare safety-net with a nearly £9.3 billion boost to the welfare system. This includes an extra £1 billion to increase Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates so that they cover the lowest 30% of market rents. For those renters who require additional support, there is also an existing £180 million of Government funding for Discretionary Housing Payments made available this year, an increase of £40 million from last year and which is for councils to distribute to support renters with housing costs.
In addition, we have introduced legislation that means, from 29 August 2020, landlords must give tenants six months’ notice before they can evict in most circumstances. This ensures those most at risk are protected and provides time for tenants to agree a solution with their landlord if they are unable to pay their rent or consider moving to avoid building up unsustainable debt.
These measures enable renters to continue paying their rent and support landlords and tenants in sustaining tenancies. If renters do find themselves at risk of homelessness, the Homelessness Reduction Act places duties on local housing authorities to take reasonable steps to try and prevent a person’s homelessness.
Asked by: Baroness Grender (Liberal Democrat - Life peer)
Question to the Ministry of Justice:
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 4) (Coronavirus) Rules 2020 prevent a possession notice where the notice was served to private rented sector tenants between 26 March and 28 August.
Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Government has recently announced that the stay on possession proceedings will end on 20 September 2020. Once cases resume, the provisions in Civil Procedure (Amendment No. 4) (Coronavirus) Rules 2020, together with a new temporary Practice Direction, will put in place procedures to manage possession proceedings. Under those arrangements, any possession notice served during the full period of the stay from 27 March, when the suspension began, to 20 September may be reactivated upon the landlord’s application. Following reactivation these cases may be referred to a judge for directions or listed for disposal.
Asked by: Sarah Olney (Liberal Democrat - Richmond Park)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to support renters served a Section 21 between 21 and 29 August who did not qualify for the additional three month extension of the notice period.
Answered by Christopher Pincher
The Government has established an unprecedented package of support to protect renters throughout the Covid-19 pandemic. This includes legislating through the Coronavirus Act 2020 to delay when landlords can evict tenants, a 6 month stay on possession proceedings in court and a range of financial support to enable renters to continue paying their living costs, including rental payments. This financial support includes increasing Local Housing Allowance rates so that they are set at the 30th percentile of local market rents in each area, which will remain in place throughout the winter period until at least the end of March 2021.
Under the Coronavirus Act 2020, landlords serving notice of their intention to seek possession between 21 and 29 August would have been required to give their tenants at least three months notice. Where possession cases do go to court, new court rules mean that landlords are now required to set out any information they are aware of in relation to how their tenant, or any dependant of their tenant has been affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Where this information is not provided, judges have the ability to adjourn proceedings until such information is provided. Courts will carefully prioritise the most egregious cases, including anti-social behaviour, fraud, and domestic abuse, ensuring landlords are able to progress the most serious cases, such as those involving anti-social behaviour and other crimes. In addition, guidance will also be issued to bailiffs highlighting that they should not enforce possession orders in places where local public health restrictions have been introduced by government through legislation or in England and Wales across 11 December 2020 to 11 January 2021.