Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Property Repairs: Recourse for Renters

Monday 4 March 2024 · 3 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Steve Tuckwell asked about property repairs and safety for renters, highlighting the need for recourse against non-compliant landlords.
  • The Minister responded that local authorities can issue improvement notices and penalties, and the Renters (Reform) Bill will establish a landlord ombudsman service for private tenants.
  • Fleur Anderson inquired about supporting her Bill to extend Awaab's law to address mould issues in rented homes, to which the Minister expressed willingness to continue discussions and highlighted the decent homes standard introduced by the Renters (Reform) Bill.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Steve Tuckwell
Housing
Context

Renters in the constituency face issues with unresponsive landlords who do not address safety concerns adequately.

Question

I am concerned about property repairs and safety for renters where landlords are non-compliant. What steps is his Department taking to ensure recourse for tenants facing these issues?

Answer from Jacob Young

Local authorities can issue improvement notices and penalties for non-compliance by landlords. Social tenants have access to the housing ombudsman service, and the Renters (Reform) Bill will establish a landlord ombudsman service for private tenants.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific measures requested were not detailed beyond existing initiatives.

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Q2 Steve Tuckwell
Housing
Context

Tenants in the constituency face ongoing issues with landlords who do not address their concerns promptly.

Question

While legislative changes are welcome, more must be done. Will the Minister work to ensure that my constituents facing unresponsive landlords can access timely and effective remedial action?

Answer from Jacob Young

I will indeed work with my hon. Friend to ensure his residents can seek redress through the property ombudsman or housing ombudsman, and we are committed to protecting tenants from poor service providers.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific process for timely remedial action was not detailed.

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Q3 Fleur Anderson Lab Putney
NHS Housing
Context

Children in the constituency are hospitalised due to mould in their rented homes. A proposed bill aims to address this issue for social housing tenants but not private renters.

Question

Too many children are hospitalised because there is mould in their rented homes. Will the Minister consider supporting my Bill to extend Awaab's law and ensure private landlords fix mould issues?

Answer from Jacob Young

I am grateful for discussions on her Bill. The Renters (Reform) Bill introduces a decent homes standard for the private rented sector, and I would be happy to continue discussions.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Specific support for extending Awaab's law was not committed to beyond existing measures.

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