Asked by: Mike Amesbury (Labour - Weaver Vale)
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.
Asked by: Lord Taylor of Warwick (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
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 30th 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.
Asked by: Charlotte Nichols (Labour - Warrington North)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many and what proportion of private tenants who were evicted under section 21 provisions in 2023 were subsequently accommodated in social housing.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The information requested is not held centrally.
Asked by: Alan Whitehead (Labour - Southampton, Test)
Question to the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero:
To ask the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, how many private rented properties have a registered exemption from minimum energy efficiency standards as of 28 February 2024.
Answered by Amanda Solloway - Government Whip, Lord Commissioner of HM Treasury
On 28 February 2024, there were a total of 15,222 registered exemptions from the minimum energy efficiency standard regulations for both domestic and non-domestic private rented properties.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that private residential tenants have the right to request that an energy meter compliant with the European Measuring Instruments Directive is installed in the property where they live.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Legislation is in place, under the Electricity Act 1989 and the Gas Act 1986, which requires all meters used for billing purposes to be approved. This includes sub meters used for secondary billing, such as in a landlord-tenant situation. This means that the government has already ensured that where landlords intend to bill their tenants, approved meters must be used.
Meters in use will have been required to demonstrate compliance with the UK Measuring Instruments Regulations 2016 which implement the relevant requirements of the European Measuring Instruments Directive, or earlier GB national legislation if their installation pre-dates that legislation.
Asked by: Beth Winter (Labour - Cynon Valley)
Question to the Department for Business and Trade:
To ask the Secretary of State for Business and Trade, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of ensuring that private rental residential landlords provide energy meters that are compliant with the European Measuring Instruments Directive for each property they let.
Answered by Kevin Hollinrake - Minister of State (Department for Business and Trade)
Legislation is in place, under the Electricity Act 1989 and the Gas Act 1986, which requires all meters used for billing purposes to be approved. This includes sub meters used for secondary billing, such as in a landlord-tenant situation. This means that the government has already ensured that where landlords intend to bill their tenants, approved meters must be used.
Meters in use will have been required to demonstrate compliance with the UK Measuring Instruments Regulations 2016 which implement the relevant requirements of the European Measuring Instruments Directive, or earlier GB national legislation if their installation pre-dates that legislation.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, pursuant to the Answer of 21 February 2024 to Question 14203 on Rents: Greater Manchester, if he will make an estimate of the potential impact of build-to-rent developments on average rental costs in (a) Stockport and (b) Greater Manchester.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 14203 on 21 February 2024.
Build to Rent can play a vital role in helping to meet demand in the Private Rented Sector, and the Greater Manchester area is now the second largest market for Build to Rent investment after London.
Asked by: Navendu Mishra (Labour - Stockport)
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 impact of new build-to-rent housing developments on social cohesion in Greater Manchester.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
I refer the Hon Member to the answer given to Question UIN 14203 on 21 February 2024.
Build to Rent can play a vital role in helping to meet demand in the Private Rented Sector, and the Greater Manchester area is now the second largest market for Build to Rent investment after London.
Asked by: Neil Coyle (Labour - Bermondsey and Old Southwark)
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 impact of the Renters (Reform) Bill on relocation agents.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The Renters (Reform) Bill will deliver a fairer, more secure, and higher quality private rented sector that is fit for the 21st century. The Impact Assessment for the Bill considers the impact on letting agents (which includes relocation agents).
It estimates that as a result of familiarisation costs and more stable private rented sector tenancies, letting agents will face costs of £1,085 per agent per year over the ten-year appraisal period. The reforms may also create new opportunities for letting agents, such as services which support landlords to meet their new requirements.
Asked by: Kate Hollern (Labour - Blackburn)
Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:
To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many accessible homes were rented privately last year.
Answered by Jacob Young - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities)
The information requested is not held centrally.