Found: The membership owns and manages around 10% of private rented housing in England and Wales, equating

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, who will have access to information on the Privately Rented Property Portal; and whether he plans to take steps to protect the privacy of tenants’ information stored on the Privately Rented Property Portal from other Departments and enforcement agencies.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is working with the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Judiciary to drive improvements to the county court possession process.

We will set out more details about our implementation plans in due course.

Local authorities are under a duty to record any banning orders against landlords or property agents on the Database; and are responsible for uploading and maintaining records. Guidance for local authorities on the use of the database can be found here.

Our latest data from the English Private Landlord Survey shows that in 2021, 57% of landlords had a buy-to-let mortgage. The impact assessment for the Renters (Reform) Bill is available online.

The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics, including causes of homelessness. This includes a breakdown of the reported reason for homelessness for households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness due to end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The data is available here.

Local authorities will have access to the full range of information recorded on the Property Portal. We do not have plans to record Tenants’ information on the Property Portal.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of (a) the number of private rented sector properties with an outstanding mortgage and (b) the cost per landlord of measures in the Renters' Reform Bill in the (i) short, (ii) medium and (iii) long term.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is working with the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Judiciary to drive improvements to the county court possession process.

We will set out more details about our implementation plans in due course.

Local authorities are under a duty to record any banning orders against landlords or property agents on the Database; and are responsible for uploading and maintaining records. Guidance for local authorities on the use of the database can be found here.

Our latest data from the English Private Landlord Survey shows that in 2021, 57% of landlords had a buy-to-let mortgage. The impact assessment for the Renters (Reform) Bill is available online.

The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics, including causes of homelessness. This includes a breakdown of the reported reason for homelessness for households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness due to end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The data is available here.

Local authorities will have access to the full range of information recorded on the Property Portal. We do not have plans to record Tenants’ information on the Property Portal.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent estimate he has made of the timeframe for court digitisation being sufficiently progressed to allow for implementation of a ban on section 21 no fault evictions.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is working with the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Judiciary to drive improvements to the county court possession process.

We will set out more details about our implementation plans in due course.

Local authorities are under a duty to record any banning orders against landlords or property agents on the Database; and are responsible for uploading and maintaining records. Guidance for local authorities on the use of the database can be found here.

Our latest data from the English Private Landlord Survey shows that in 2021, 57% of landlords had a buy-to-let mortgage. The impact assessment for the Renters (Reform) Bill is available online.

The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics, including causes of homelessness. This includes a breakdown of the reported reason for homelessness for households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness due to end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The data is available here.

Local authorities will have access to the full range of information recorded on the Property Portal. We do not have plans to record Tenants’ information on the Property Portal.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what recent assessment he has made of the reasons for private rented sector tenants becoming homeless.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities is working with the Ministry of Justice, His Majesty’s Courts and Tribunal Service (HMCTS) and the Judiciary to drive improvements to the county court possession process.

We will set out more details about our implementation plans in due course.

Local authorities are under a duty to record any banning orders against landlords or property agents on the Database; and are responsible for uploading and maintaining records. Guidance for local authorities on the use of the database can be found here.

Our latest data from the English Private Landlord Survey shows that in 2021, 57% of landlords had a buy-to-let mortgage. The impact assessment for the Renters (Reform) Bill is available online.

The Government publishes quarterly homelessness statistics, including causes of homelessness. This includes a breakdown of the reported reason for homelessness for households who are homeless or threatened with homelessness due to end of an Assured Shorthold Tenancy. The data is available here.

Local authorities will have access to the full range of information recorded on the Property Portal. We do not have plans to record Tenants’ information on the Property Portal.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the (a) challenges faced by disabled renters in the private rented sector and (b) potential impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on tackling those challenges.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government is committed to helping disabled people to live independently and safely in their home. The Renters (Reform) Bill will help improve the quality of privately rented homes by introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time. This will ensure tenants, including those with disabilities, benefit from homes that are safe and decent.

Through the abolition of Section 21 evictions, the Bill will give all tenants greater security in their home and will empower disabled tenants to challenge poor practice and request home adaptations where they are needed, without worrying about retaliatory eviction by their landlord. The Bill will also create a new PRS Landlord Ombudsman which tenants can complain to if they think their landlord unreasonably refused permission to make an adaptation to their home. The Bill will also make practices by landlords and/or those acting on their behalf which discriminate against those who receive benefits, including disability benefits, illegal.

We are working with a range of stakeholders to understand what information is important to tenants when using the property portal and will outline this in regulations.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether he has made an assessment of the potential merits of using the Property Portal to record accessibility information on private sector dwellings.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

The Government is committed to helping disabled people to live independently and safely in their home. The Renters (Reform) Bill will help improve the quality of privately rented homes by introducing a Decent Homes Standard in the private rented sector for the first time. This will ensure tenants, including those with disabilities, benefit from homes that are safe and decent.

Through the abolition of Section 21 evictions, the Bill will give all tenants greater security in their home and will empower disabled tenants to challenge poor practice and request home adaptations where they are needed, without worrying about retaliatory eviction by their landlord. The Bill will also create a new PRS Landlord Ombudsman which tenants can complain to if they think their landlord unreasonably refused permission to make an adaptation to their home. The Bill will also make practices by landlords and/or those acting on their behalf which discriminate against those who receive benefits, including disability benefits, illegal.

We are working with a range of stakeholders to understand what information is important to tenants when using the property portal and will outline this in regulations.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what information his Department holds on how many Disabled people were evicted thorough section 21 no-fault evictions in the private rented sector in 2023.

Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

I refer the Hon Member to my answer to Question UIN 14713 on 22 February 2024.

Question to the HM Treasury:

To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to allow landlords of rented properties to claim (1) adding insulation where there was none before, and (2) upgrading a central heating boiler from an older, less efficient model, as expenses.

Answered by Baroness Vere of Norbiton - Parliamentary Secretary (HM Treasury)

The Government continues to support both owner-occupier and private rented sector households to improve the energy efficiency of their homes. Landlords are therefore eligible to claim support to install low-carbon heating or energy efficiency upgrades in their properties under schemes like the Boiler Upgrade Scheme and Energy Company Obligation (ECO) 4.

The Government keeps all aspects of the tax system under review and any decisions on future changes will be taken in the context of the wider public finances.

Question to the Department of Health and Social Care:

To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether he has made a recent assessment of the potential impact of private renting on mental health.

Answered by Maria Caulfield - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Business and Trade) (Minister for Women)

The UK Health Security Agency’s Adverse Weather and Health Plan, which was last updated in November 2023, sets out evidence on potential impacts that housing conditions such as excess cold, damp, mould, and overheating can have on mental health. This plan is available at the following link:

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/adverse-weather-and-health-plan

In September 2023, the Government published Understanding and addressing the health risks of damp and mould in the home. This guidance sets out the physical and mental health risks of damp and mould, and the steps social and private landlords should take to address these issues. The 2022 Levelling Up white paper set out our ambition to halve the number of non-decent rented homes by 2030, with the biggest improvements in the lowest performing areas.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, if he will make an assessment of the potential implications for his policies of trends in levels of profits made by private landlords by letting emergency temporary accommodation.

Answered by Felicity Buchan - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

Local authorities procure temporary accommodation from a range of sources, including council-owned stock, from housing associations, and from private landlords, and must ensure it is suitable.

Government has an ambition to increase quality of all accommodation, including temporary accommodation.

Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to promote housing affordability and stability for renters, and (2) to support first-time buyers.

Answered by Baroness Scott of Bybrook - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)

This Government is committed to delivering a better deal for renters, improving the private rented sector for responsible tenants and good landlords.

The Renters (Reform) Bill was introduced in Parliament on 17 May 2023 and will deliver the government’s commitments. The Bill increases security of tenure for tenants by abolishing section 21 evictions. The new tenancy system will also reassure tenants that, apart from in specific circumstances set out in legislation, their rented home is theirs for as long as they want.

We continue to work towards our ambition of delivering 300,000 homes per year to help create a more sustainable and affordable housing market. Individuals who need help to make rent payments may be eligible for financial support through the welfare system. From April 2024, we will invest £1.2 billion restoring Local Housing Allowance (LHA) rates to the 30^th percentile of local market rents. For others who face a shortfall, Discretionary Housing Payments are available from local authorities; the Government has provided almost £1.7 billion of this funding to local authorities since 2011.

Found: is that almost half of households in the District are unable to afford to access the lower quartile private

Found: Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 - timing of service of notices Private

Found: Interpretation and Legislative Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 - timing of service of notices Private

Found: responses can be viewed online at Published responses for Energy efficiency and condition standards in private

Found: that if any rent controls measures are to be introduced, they should apply across both social and private

Found: albeit it is rarely used , is to give the tenant the ability to challenge the initial rent, which the Private

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties that are in the scope of its 2028 minimum energy efficiency standard, as proposed in its Delivering Net Zero for Scotland's Buildings consultation, are (a) already meeting and (b) require any level of work to meet the proposed standard.

Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights

The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes a proposal to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard. Landlords of private rented housing would be required to meet this standard by the end of 2028.

The intention is to set a minimum energy efficiency standard at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 estimates that around 50% of privately rented homes are already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many homes which do not yet meet the proposed standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest.

We are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce further flexibility to the standard for specific groups or personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard.

Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties it expects would be required to meet the minimum energy efficiency standards by 2028, as proposed in its Delivering Net Zero for Scotland's Buildings consultation.

Answered by Harvie, Patrick - Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights

The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes a proposal to introduce a minimum energy efficiency standard. Landlords of private rented housing would be required to meet this standard by the end of 2028.

The intention is to set a minimum energy efficiency standard at a level that is broadly equivalent to EPC C. The Scottish House Condition Survey 2022 estimates that around 50% of privately rented homes are already in EPC band C or better. It is likely that for many homes which do not yet meet the proposed standard, the amount of work needed to be carried out is modest.

We are also seeking views in our consultation on whether to introduce further flexibility to the standard for specific groups or personal circumstances. These mechanisms may reduce the number of homes which need to meet the standard.

Found: lived experience housing panels in order to inform its scrutiny of legislative proposals concerning the private

Found: lived experience housing panels in order to inform its scrutiny of legislative proposals concerning the private