Opposition Day — Support Investors in Rental Properties and Action Against Rogue Landlords — 23 Jan 2013 at 18:51

The majority of MPs voted to support a £200m "build to rent" fund and £10bn in lending guarantees to help investors buy properties to rent as well as to support action against rogue landlords.

MPs were considering the following motion:

• That this House
• recognises the private rented sector’s growing role in meeting housing need;
• notes that there are 8.5 million people, including more than one million families with children, now renting privately;
• recognises there are major implications of the growth in this tenure for families and communities in Britain today;
• notes with concern the lack of protection afforded to tenants and landlords by the unregulated lettings market and the confusing, inconsistent fees and charges charged by letting and management agents;
• further notes the lack of stability, security and affordability for families and other renters;
• further notes the increasing number of complaints about rogue landlords and the poor standards in the sector compared with other tenures;
• calls on the Government to regulate residential lettings and management agents and to end the confusing, inconsistent charges regime, making fees easily understandable, upfront and comparable across agents;
• further calls on the Government to promote longer term tenancies where tenants want them; and
• finally calls on the Government to introduce a national register of landlords and empower local authorities to improve standards and deal with rogue landlords.

This vote was on the following amendment:

• to leave out from “recognises” to the end of the Question and add:
• the importance of a vibrant private rented sector in providing a diverse range of quality accommodation to those who do not want or currently cannot buy their own home;
• supports action to be taken against the small minority of rogue landlords, without burdening the whole sector with unnecessary costs;
• warns that excessive red tape would force up rents, reduce choice for tenants and undermine future investment;
• believes that the Government should work with councils to promote their wide range of existing legal powers;
• welcomes the Government’s action against ‘beds in sheds’

criminal landlords and steps to tackle social housing fraud; and

• supports the Government’s new £200 million ‘build to rent’

fund and the £10 billion in debt guarantees for investment in the long-term rental market.”.

Given the two occurrences of the word “recognises” in the original motion this appears ambiguous, though the difference is not substantive. The Official Record has take it to apply to the first occurrence of the word^[1], so the amendment effectively replaces all the original motion.

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• [1] Official Record, House of Commons, 23 January 2013

Debate in Parliament | Source |