Asked by: Tom Morrison (Liberal Democrat - Cheadle)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to help increase public awareness of the obligation of landlords to re-register tenancy deposits with each renewed or rolling tenancy agreement.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
Under current legislation, landlords in England and Wales must protect a tenancy deposit in a government-approved scheme within 30 days of receiving it for an assured shorthold tenancy and provide prescribed information to their tenants. They must ensure that the deposit remains protected for the duration of the tenancy.
There is no legislative requirement to re-protect the deposit when a tenancy is renewed or becomes periodic, provided the deposit remains in the same scheme and the parties to the tenancy have not changed. However, where a landlord utilises an insurance based scheme to protect the deposit, it may be necessary to renew their insurance when a tenancy is extended or renewed. This is determined by the scheme’s terms and conditions.
The government continues to work with the three authorised tenancy deposit schemes to ensure landlords and tenants are aware of their rights and obligations. Guidance is available on gov.uk here and through the schemes’ websites and helplines.
Asked by: Freddie van Mierlo (Liberal Democrat - Henley and Thame)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce delays in the property buying process.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
On 6 October 2025, the government published a consultation on proposals to improve to the home buying and selling process. It can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Margaret Mullane (Labour - Dagenham and Rainham)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what consideration his Department of providing additional resource for local authorities to enforce 12 month relet bans on landlords who do not adhere to incoming legislation within the Renters Rights Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
In accordance with the New Burdens Doctrine, we will ensure additional net costs on local authorities created by the Renters’ Rights Bill are fully funded.
Asked by: Darren Paffey (Labour - Southampton Itchen)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, when he plans to announce new burdens funding for local authorities associated with the passage of the Renters Rights Bill.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department will set out the funding we intend to make available to local authorities to meet new burdens arising from the Renters’ Rights Bill in due course.
Asked by: Andrew Lewin (Labour - Welwyn Hatfield)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the average deposit paid by (a) all first time buyers and (b) first time buyers using shared ownership schemes in 2024.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
According to the English Housing Survey, the average (mean) deposit of a first-time buyer in 2023-24 was £55,372 (£32,700 median). Further information can be found in the English Housing Survey statistical publication on gov.uk here.
In 2023-24, the mean cash deposit paid by first time buyers in England using shared ownership schemes sold through via private registered providers was £20,300 and the median cash deposit was £12,900. Figures for all shared ownership schemes sold through via private registered providers is available in Live Table 697.
Asked by: Joshua Reynolds (Liberal Democrat - Maidenhead)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will take steps to (a) ensure that leaseholders whose leases are approaching the 80–85 year bracket are informed of the implications for lease extension costs and (b) collect (i) email addresses and (ii) other contact details to provide timely reminders.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The Leasehold and Freehold Reform Act 2024 includes provisions that will make it cheaper and easier for existing leaseholders to extend their lease or buy their freehold.
As set out in the Written Ministerial Statement I made on 21 November 2024 (HCWS244), the government intends to act quickly to provide homeowners with greater rights, powers, and protections over their homes by implementing the Act’s provisions.
Leaseholders can view high level information on their lease on the title register or request an official copy of their lease from HM Land Registry (HMLR) using form OC2. A dataset of registered leases is also published by HMLR and can be accessed free of charge for personal use. This can be found on gov.uk here.
Specialist legal advice should be taken from a solicitor or surveyor when considering enfranchisement or extensions. Leaseholders can also get free information and advice from the Leasehold Advisory Service.
Asked by: Jo Platt (Labour (Co-op) - Leigh and Atherton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if his Department will provide a revised target for the Affordable Homes Programme 2021-26 split between (a) total grant-funded completions and (b) completions for letting at social rents.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
All homes delivered through the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme are supported by grant. Those homes are in addition to affordable homes that developers have committed to delivering under negotiated Section 106 agreements.
My Department published an update on targets for the 2021-26 Affordable Homes Programme, including our target for delivering homes for social rent, on 30 July 2024. It can be found on gov.uk here.
Asked by: Afzal Khan (Labour - Manchester Rusholme)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to help promote (a) private and (b) communal garden space in new housing developments; and whether he will make an assessment of the potential merits of introducing minimum garden density of 29.5% in all new developments.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The National Planning Policy Framework emphasises the importance of a network of high quality, open spaces for the health and wellbeing of communities and the environment. This is supported by national design guidance, which explains that well designed places provide both usable private and public open green spaces, which can include private and communal gardens.
We currently have no plans to assess the merits of introducing minimum garden density in new developments.
Asked by: James McMurdock (Independent - South Basildon and East Thurrock)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps he is taking to reduce the average age in which people in South Basildon and East Thurrock constituency are able to purchase their first home.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
The affordability challenges facing prospective first-time buyers mean that too many people are now locked out of homeownership.
In addition to increasing the supply of homes of all tenures, the government is supporting people into home ownership, including through the shared ownership scheme and the Lifetime ISA.
The government has also introduced a new, permanent Mortgage Guarantee Scheme, available to support and sustain availability of low deposit mortgage products for prospective buyers.
Additionally, the Bank of England is easing the loan-to-income limit, enabling up to 36,000 additional first-time buyers in the first year.
The Financial Conduct Authority’s (FCA) ongoing review of the mortgage market means many buyers can now borrow 10% more towards a property purchase. The government looks forward to ambitious proposals from the FCA’s paper.
First-time buyers may also benefit from home ownership initiatives offered at the local level.
Asked by: Al Pinkerton (Liberal Democrat - Surrey Heath)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, if he will make an assessment of the potential impact of houses in multiple occupation on levels of (a) loneliness and (b) mental health issues in Surrey Heath constituency.
Answered by Matthew Pennycook - Minister of State (Housing, Communities and Local Government)
My Department has no plans to make such an assessment. We will keep the regulation of HMOs under review.