Mark Pawsey, MP for Rugby, is introducing a Crown Tenancies Bill, which would give tenants of the state assured tenancies – this sounds a bit niche, so we’ll have to wait for further details about who would benefit.
Finally, Angela Watkinson, MP for Hornchurch in east London, is proposing a requirement on councils to collect information about landlords when new tenants fill out council tax forms. The rationale is that it’s a low cost way for councils to find out which properties are being let privately and adapt their enforcement of housing standards appropriately. While it’s more than what we have today, many landlords could still evade detection if they wanted to, for example, by keeping the council tax in their name.
Any system of landlord registration must have penalties for those who don’t comply – that’s why we’re calling for full licensing and a national register of landlords. Support our campaign here.
