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Written Question
Private Rented Housing: Rents
Wednesday 22nd January 2025

Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government what they steps they are taking to improve affordability of tenancies in the private rented sector.

Answered by Baroness Taylor of Stevenage - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)

Boosting the supply of homes of all tenures must be at the heart of any strategy to improve housing affordability which is why the government’s Plan for Change includes a hugely ambitious milestone of building 1.5 million safe and decent homes in England in this Parliament.

The Renters’ Rights Bill empowers private rented sector tenants to challenge unreasonable rent increases, with all rent increases taking place via an existing statutory process. Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal.

The Bill also takes practical steps to end the practices of rental bidding and landlords demanding large amounts of rent in advance. These unfair practices pit tenants against one another, encouraging them to either stretch their finances to the limit or prevent them from accessing the private rented sector altogether.

Written Question
Evictions
Thursday 29th June 2023

Asked by: Lord Bird (Crossbench - Life peer)

Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:

To ask His Majesty's Government how many people have been served a section 21 eviction notice since December 2019.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Shadow Minister (Housing, Communities and Local Government)

The data requested is not held centrally.

Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 22 Jun 2022
Housing: Private Renters

"Can we look at this in a very cautious sort of way? I am glad that the Minister used the word “balance”. I remember the Rent Act 1965, which was so well-intentioned that it led to a 25% fall in the amount of rented accommodation. The reason for that was …..."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Housing: Private Renters
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 26 May 2022
Social Homes for Rent

"Will the Minister look very kindly at the idea of sociable housing, where you get sociable mix? The problem we now have is social ghettos of poverty. We need to create a mix, as well as addressing the problem that the children of the middle classes are also unable to …..."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Social Homes for Rent
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 08 Dec 2021
UK Community Renewal Fund

"My Lords, while we are talking about levelling up, is it possible to include the 500,000 people who are behind in their rent and may well be levelling down? We have spoken about this together and the Government have not yet come up with a solution for people who are …..."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: UK Community Renewal Fund
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 09 Sep 2021
Net-Zero Emissions: Planning and Building Regulations

"Could we also insist that the Government, as well as putting an enormous effort into zero-emissions reduction, look at all the industries that need to be supported so that they can counter the worst effects of what is happening with the climate?..."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Net-Zero Emissions: Planning and Building Regulations
Speech in Lords Chamber - Wed 26 May 2021
Rogue Landlords Register

"Does the Minister agree with me that the reason why people fall into the hands of rogue landlords is that they are in need? They are often the most desperate people, and do not have a choice. Can we not support the decent landlords by getting them back to profitability …..."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Rogue Landlords Register
Speech in Grand Committee - Thu 22 Apr 2021
Covid-19: Poverty and Mass Evictions

"To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the risk of mass evictions resulting from COVID-19-related poverty; and what steps they will take to prevent such evictions...."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Covid-19: Poverty and Mass Evictions
Speech in Grand Committee - Thu 22 Apr 2021
Covid-19: Poverty and Mass Evictions

"My Lords, I am grateful for this chance to talk about something which has caused me a lot of sleepless nights. Thirty years ago, I started the Big Issue. In the past 30 years, including through the Covid period, we have been working with in the region of 7,000 …..."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Covid-19: Poverty and Mass Evictions
Speech in Lords Chamber - Thu 18 Mar 2021
Levelling Up

"We know that a commonality among people who suffer poverty is, on most occasions, that they did not do very well at school. This leads to a low-wage economy, low-wage health and low social mobility and opportunity. We are talking about poverty —it is the only reason you would talk …..."
Lord Bird - View Speech

View all Lord Bird (XB - Life peer) contributions to the debate on: Levelling Up