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Coronavirus Act 2020 - Schedule 5 - Application of Chapter 1 of Part 1 to existing tenancies: transitional provision
24 April 2024
Lead MP
Jacob Young
Debate Type
Bill Debate
Tags
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Other Contributors: 46
At a Glance
Jacob Young raised concerns about coronavirus act 2020 - schedule 5 - application of chapter 1 of part 1 to existing tenancies: transitional provision in the House of Commons. Other MPs contributed to the debate.
How the Debate Unfolded
MPs spoke in turn to share their views and ask questions. Here's what each person said:
Lead Contributor
Opened the debate
Mr. Jacob Young, the Member for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, moved that the clause be read a Second time. The specific amendment proposed in this speech does not provide detailed arguments but can be inferred to relate to transitional provisions for existing tenancies under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Coronavirus Act 2020.
Jacob Young
Lab
Bermondsey and Old Southwark
Mr. Jacob Young, in moving that the clause be read a Second time, supports transitional provisions for existing tenancies under Chapter 1 of Part 1 of the Coronavirus Act 2020. He likely argues that these provisions are necessary to provide stability and support during challenging times, though specific details are not provided in this initial motion.
Caroline Lucas
Green
Brighton Pavilion
Ms. Lucas criticised the Secretary of State for suggesting that the House of Lords would need to take action on banning no-fault evictions, questioning both his five-year delay and concessions to Conservative MPs who are landlords.
Feryal Clark
Lab
Enfield North
Ms. Clark highlighted that over 2,000 people in Enfield had experienced no-fault evictions since 2019, costing local authorities millions to rehouse them.
Clive Betts
Lab
Sheffield South East
Mr. Clive Betts inquired about energy efficiency standards in decent homes and challenged the Minister's claim that the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee was responsible for delays.
Karen Buck
Lab
Richmond Park
Ms. Karen Buck pointed out inconsistencies in the Minister’s arguments regarding support from housing charities and organisations, noting their withdrawal of support for the Government's position.
Jeff Smith
Lab
Manchester Withington
Mr. Jeff Smith questioned why a specific date could not be given for implementing changes promised to outlaw no-fault evictions.
Bob Neill
Con
Bromley and Chislehurst
Mr. Bob Neill welcomed new clause 30 but asked how costs associated with court assessments would be managed given existing budget constraints.
Neil O'Brien
Con
Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
Mr. Neil O'Brien defended delays due to the pandemic and urged caution in implementing changes prematurely.
Dominic Raab
Con
Esher and Walton
Mr. Dominic Raab expressed concern about potential impacts on relationships with landlords for organisations like Rentstart, seeking reassurances from the Minister.
Wera Hobhouse
Lib Dem
Bath
Ms. Wera Hobhouse suggested amending the Protection from Eviction Act 1977 to prevent rogue landlords from exploiting poorly understood legislation.
Rosie Winterton
Lab
Sheffield Central
Provided procedural advice regarding interventions during speeches.
Greenwich and Woolwich
Calls for the immediate abolition of section 21 no-fault evictions, criticises government delays, and highlights the need for clarity on court readiness criteria. Emphasises the risks to renters due to lack of certainty regarding implementation.
Intervenes to express concern about the impact on housing supply if courts are not adequately prepared for section 21 abolition. Highlights potential risks to private housing stock availability.
Intervenes to raise concerns about current court pressures and the need for adequate funding. Cites data suggesting average possession claim resolution times of 55 weeks, emphasising the importance of court readiness.
Intervenes to express sympathy with renters' plight and criticises landlords who serve section 21 notices despite knowing tenants’ vulnerabilities. Calls for protection of renters and accuses the government of not caring about their well-being.
Tim Loughton
Con
East Worthing and Shoreham
Argues for new clause 12 to prevent discrimination against care-experienced individuals by landlords. Cites statistics on high rates of homelessness among care leavers, mental health issues in care children, and difficulty finding suitable accommodation due to lack of financial support.
Jeremy Corbyn
Ind
Islington North
[INTERVENTION]: Agrees with Tim Loughton's point on care leavers' vulnerability at 18, emphasising the need for emotional and advice support beyond housing assistance.
Intervened to ask Mr. Betts about consumer protection for unfair trading, suggesting it as a remedy for tenants facing difficulties with their property or landlord.
Responded positively to Mr. Mangnall's intervention regarding consumer protection and agreed to work with Mr. Betts on decisions post-review, affirming the role of selective licensing alongside the property portal.
Natalie Elphicke
Con
Broadstairs
Ms Elphicke argues that the Bill does not sufficiently address the challenges of the private rented sector. She proposes a relocation payment for tenants evicted within two years, highlighting financial burdens on tenants and emotional strain. She suggests limiting ground 12 to material breaches to prevent trivial reasons like Blu Tack usage from leading to eviction. Ms Elphicke criticises the Government's new clause 30 as a delaying tactic.
Munira Wilson
Lib Dem
Twickenham
Supports amendments aimed at protecting tenants from unfair evictions, ensuring minimum housing standards for service individuals and their families, and regulating holiday lets. Argues that the government's delays in implementing these measures have exacerbated homelessness and disrepair issues. Emphasises the need to abolish section 21 no-fault evictions and protect vulnerable renters with children.
North Cotswolds
Intervened to express concern that ending fixed-term tenancies could lead landlords in rural areas to sell their properties, increasing rental prices and making it harder for young people to access rental housing.
Greenwich and Woolwich
Challenged Mangnall's concern about short-term lets, questioning if there is substantial evidence that tenants would exploit such a loophole en masse.
Eleanor Laing
Con
Nottingham North
Although Eleanor Laing did not directly speak on the amendment, she intervened multiple times in other speeches. Her interventions suggest a concern for procedural order and the scope of debate.
Marcus Fysh
Con
Tiverton and Honiton
Agreed that longer tenancies would be beneficial for renters, especially those with young families. Emphasised the need for security of tenure beyond six months.
Caroline Lucas
Green
Brighton Pavilion
Questioned whether tenants truly have free will in agreeing to guarantor schemes due to competitive rental markets, suggesting that these agreements are not mutually agreeable as proposed by some speakers.
Clive Betts
Lab
Sheffield South East
Challenged the proposal's consistency with abolishing no-fault evictions, arguing it could effectively reintroduce such practices through fixed-term tenancies. Suggested that landlords might use section 21 notices to end contracts.
Simon Jupp
Con
West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine
Acknowledged the impact of tight regulations on long-term letting in rural areas, suggesting that landlords may turn towards short-term holiday lets as an unintended consequence.
Steve Brine
Con
Winchester
Supported the concerns about pushing landlords out of the market due to tight regulations. Suggested this could lead to no-fault evictions and questioned for evidence supporting these arguments.
Bob Neill
Con
Bristol South
Neill supports Government new clause 30 and emphasises the need to balance tenant rights with landlord interests. He raises concerns about delays in the county court system, particularly the time it takes for possession actions and enforcement of bailiff appointments, which can put pressure on families and local authorities. Neill cites evidence from various submissions and organisations indicating significant delays in the process, such as an average of 276 working days for repossession claims to be processed by the county court. He also highlights issues like recruitment challenges, paper-based systems, and reduced productivity due to litigants appearing in person without legal aid.
Neil O'Brien
Con
Harborough, Oadby and Wigston
Welcomes the measures in the Bill to extend decent homes standards to private rented sector. Supports new clauses that strike a balance between tenants' and landlords' interests, including making commencement of no-fault evictions dependent on court readiness and ensuring fairness for landlords through confidence-giving measures.
Paul Blomfield
Lab
Sheffield Central
Mr. Blomfield argued that the proposed exemption for student renters may make them more attractive to less scrupulous landlords, while also expressing concern that giving students the same protection as other renters might force landlords to leave the student market in areas with housing pressure. He stressed the need for a flexible approach to accommodate various types of students and courses not conforming to a standard academic year cycle.
Wera Hobhouse
Lib Dem
Bath
Ms. Hobhouse intervened to support Mr. Blomfield's proposal, noting that the tendency for landlords to pressure students into early contracts is not a new issue and has existed even before her daughter’s university start in 2008. She highlighted the difficulty faced by young people in finding suitable roommates within such short timeframes after arriving at university.
Wera Hobhouse
Lib Dem
Bath
The amendments seek to address issues such as obscure landlord identities, complex legal protections for occupiers, and difficulties in identifying landlords. They aim to simplify enforcement, clarify services that can constitute harassment, reverse the burden of proof regarding protected occupiers, mandate police assistance, and lower the standard of proof for rent repayment orders.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Supports new clause 40, arguing that section 21 evictions create insecurity for tenants. Raised a case where bereaved parents were financially penalised due to their son’s death by suicide. Proposes eliminating clauses in tenancy agreements that hold guarantors liable after the tenant's death. Insists that such losses are insurable risks and should be covered by insurance, not passed on to grieving families.
Greenwich and Woolwich
Proposed new clause 10 to extend Awaab’s law to the private rented sector, aiming to prevent dangerous housing conditions. Raised concerns about the need for immediate action against private landlords who neglect property maintenance.
Helen Morgan
Con
North Shropshire
Tabled amendment 37 seeking to bring accommodation provided by the Defence Infrastructure Organisation into scope of the decent homes standard. Emphasised the importance of ensuring service personnel and their families have safe and decent housing.
Tim Loughton
Con
East Worthing and Shoreham
Tabled new clause 12 and amendments 43 to 47 seeking to extend the core blanket ban provision in chapter 3 to care leavers. Highlighted significant barriers faced by care-experienced young people when securing affordable housing.
Elphicke
Con
Dover
Proposed new clause 39, requiring landlords to compensate tenants when using possession grounds found in schedule 2 of the Housing Act 1988 within two years. Argued that this could exacerbate financial difficulties for landlords.
Helen Hayes
Lab
Dulwich and West Norwood
Proposed new clause 40 to prevent guarantors being held liable for rent after a tenant’s death. Highlighted the need for flexibility in tenancy agreements post-bereavement.
Anthony Mangnall
Con
Totnes
Acknowledged that the Government had accepted many of his amendments but still expressed opposition to the Bill overall. Mentioned Margaret Thatcher’s reforms of the 1980s and emphasised the absence of rent caps.
Caroline Lucas
Green
Brighton, Pavilion
Caroline Lucas intervened twice. She expressed concern about the Bill's deviation from the White Paper commitment to prevent tribunals from increasing rents beyond what landlords initially asked for. This change, she argued, creates a disincentive for tenants to seek fair rent assessments.
North Cotswolds
Mr Clifton-Brown interjected that the purpose of a tribunal is to set a fair market price, and the rent could go up or down depending on what the tribunal deems appropriate.
Greenwich and Woolwich
Mr Pennycook thanked the Minister for his efforts but criticised the Government's approach to amending the Bill. He argued that the Bill should have been strengthened rather than weakened, highlighting the intolerable conditions faced by renters who live with the threat of eviction and substandard housing.
Christchurch
Mr. Chope criticises the Bill for not reintroducing shorthold tenancy provisions and warns of potential consequences including reduced supply in the private rental sector, increased rents, and demands for rent controls. He calls for future amendments to ensure that the principles from the 1988 Housing Act are preserved.
Mr. Young confirms that the government does not intend to introduce any form of rent controls in response to Mr. Chope's concerns, but does not provide further details on amendments or legislative changes proposed.
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