Contributions
933 recent contributions in Hansard
HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)I rise to support amendment 152, and particularly its spirit. I could not agree more that if a tenant is in good standing, paying their rent and not breaching any other clauses of…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fifth sitting)I am speaking to amendment 150, which relates to ground 6A, about greater hardship. The next group is about the court having mitigating measures other than eviction. They could…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)My understanding is that the Minister is referring to a legal partner or spouse, unless he can reassure me that he is not. Many people might not be legally married or be in a…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)The Minister may disagree. That is fine: he will get his way, and we will pass his wording, but there should then be an assurance that, in a few years’ time, there will be a…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)I rise to support the amendments. I think this clause is particularly pernicious. I do not know whether other Members do this, but I have a tendency in the evening, when my staff…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fifth sitting)Following on from the debate on the last group of amendments, I want to add my concern about ground 6A. Where there are issues with fire or flood, landlords are often expected to…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)My hon. Friend will note that such provisions exist in other areas, where the first right of refusal is given. Surely if this legislation is passed, the landlord will always first…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fifth sitting)I rise to support these three amendments. Amendment 150 is, of course, inextricably linked to amendment 149, which we will come on to shortly. I want to talk about the…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fifth sitting)Thank you, Mr Gray. We have a problem here. It is important that the court is able to weigh up where the greater hardship is. Is it a greater hardship to evict a tenant who has…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fifth sitting)The hon. Member mentions selective licensing, which is important. Do we need to review the way that authorities apply for selective licensing? Should there be an assumption that…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fifth sitting)I want us to give the Minister an opportunity to elaborate on court reform, because it is also relevant to this clause, in terms of when it will be implemented and the indicators…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)I am sceptical about the need for a special student carve-out. The National Union of Students is sceptical as well, but it did acknowledge that if worded correctly it could…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)I rise to support the amendment —no surprise there. We have a crisis not only in our private rented sector, but with the burdens that local authorities are having placed on them,…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Sixth sitting)May I press the Minister on that point? If a tenant leaves within the two-month notice period, does the Minister really think that they should be bound to pay those two months’…21 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fourth sitting)Q The Government have tabled an amendment that would create a ground 4A, which is what you were just talking about there. Have you had time to look at that and do you think it is…16 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fourth sitting)I have another question, but I do not want to hog all the questioning.16 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fourth sitting)Q A lot of the reforms in this Bill will advantage people who are in the property for a long period of time. They will be able to enforce their in-tenancy rent controls better,…16 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fourth sitting)Q The second part was about whether there should be some sort of recompense for tenants who are moving out, even if it is legitimate that they are moving out, through no fault of…16 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fourth sitting)Q Finally—we have a few more minutes—on Tuesday we heard that the two-month notice, meaning that someone can give notice and then move out within two months basically on the first…16 Nov 2023HANSARDRenters (Reform) Bill (Fourth sitting)Q I would like to go back to ground 4A being proposed by the Government. It makes it a very binary choice between there being students in the accommodation or no students in the…16 Nov 2023