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421731

registered interest
date	15/10/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, whether he plans to introduce a requirement that private landlords have a certificate confirming their accommodation has reached a minimum condition before it can be let.
tabling member constituency	Bath
tabling member printed	Ben Howlett
uin	12165
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/10/2015 answer text <p>Local Authorities have powers under the Housing Act 2004 to assess the risks and hazards in properties, and to require landlords or owners to remove hazards, and to prosecute if they fail to do so. If a property is found to contain serious hazards, the local authority has a duty to take the most appropriate action in relation to the hazard. This could include serving a notice for the landlord to carry out improvements.</p><p>The Government wants to crack down further on the small minority of rogue and criminal landlords who exploit their tenants by renting out unsafe and substandard accommodation and are taking forward proposals through the Housing and Planning Bill. The legislation will enable local authorities to:</p><ul><li>access a database of rogue landlords and letting agents helping councils keep track of them and target enforcement action;</li><li>seek banning orders for the most prolific and serious offenders;</li><li>issue civil penalty notices of up to £5,000 for certain breaches of housing legislation, ring-fencing resources for housing compliance activity;</li><li>extend Rent Repayment Orders to cover situations where a tenant has been illegally evicted, the landlord has failed to rectify a serious health and safety hazard in the property or has breached a banning order, allowing local authorities to retain the money for housing purposes.</li><li>apply a more stringent ‘fit and proper’ person test for landlords letting out licensed properties.</li></ul><p><br>The majority of landlords in the private rented sector provide decent accommodation with surveys showing that 84% of tenants are satisfied with their accommodation, and staying in their homes for an average of 3.5 years.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 23/10/2015 13:41:55 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4445 label Biography information for Ben Howlett

419873

registered interest
date	09/10/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, what advice his Department issues to local authorities on advising private rented sector tenants subject to court orders for possession on the steps they should take to find accommodation.
tabling member constituency	Dudley North
tabling member printed	Ian Austin
uin	11229
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 19/10/2015 answer text <p>The statutory Homelessness Code of Guidance for Local Authorities includes advice and guidance to authorities on the actions they can take to prevent homelessness where a person is at risk of eviction from a property. This includes negotiation with landlords or with help to address rent arrears for example. It also explains how authorities should carry out their homelessness duties where eviction takes place.</p><p>We have also introduced protections for tenants against “retaliatory eviction”. Where a tenant makes a genuine complaint about the condition of their property that has not been addressed by their landlord, their complaint has been verified by a local authority inspection, and the local authority has served either an improvement notice or a notice of emergency remedial action, a landlord cannot evict that tenant for 6 months using the ‘no-fault’ eviction procedure (a section 21 eviction). A ‘no fault’ eviction is one where the tenant does not have to have done anything wrong, for example not paying the rent, to be asked to leave. The landlord is also required to ensure that the repairs are completed. These rules, set out in the Deregulation Act 2015, apply to all new assured shorthold tenancies that start on or after 1 October 2015. A guidance note is available at <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/465275/Retaliatory_Eviction_Guidance_Note.pdf" target="_blank">https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/465275/Retaliatory_Eviction_Guidance_Note.pdf</a></p><br /> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 19/10/2015 13:24:53 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	1511 label Biography information for Lord Austin of Dudley

178091

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, if he will estimate the number of properties in the private rented sector which (a) reach and (b) do not reach the Decent Homes standard.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	223554
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The table below shows the number and proportion of dwellings in the private rented sector which reach the Decent Homes standard over the last five years.</p><p> </p><p>The private rented sector has expanded in size in this period (with almost one million more homes), yet both the absolute and relative number of non-Decent Homes have fallen.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td> </td><td colspan="2"><p><em>Reaching standard</em></p></td><td colspan="2"><p><em>Not reaching standard</em></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2008</p></td><td><p>1,847,000</p></td><td><p>56%</p></td><td><p>1,449,000</p></td><td><p>44%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2009</p></td><td><p>2,123,000</p></td><td><p>59%</p></td><td><p>1,465,000</p></td><td><p>41%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2010</p></td><td><p>2,325,000</p></td><td><p>63%</p></td><td><p>1,381,000</p></td><td><p>37%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2011</p></td><td><p>2,610,000</p></td><td><p>65%</p></td><td><p>1,407,000</p></td><td><p>35%</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>2012</p></td><td><p>2,754,000</p></td><td><p>67%</p></td><td><p>1,365,000</p></td><td><p>33%</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>This Government has taken a series of actions to help improve standards in the private rented sector.</p><p> </p><p>To encourage improved conditions, we have increased consumer awareness and supported longer tenancies with a ‘How to Rent’ guide, a model tenancy agreement, and an industry-led Code of Practice for letting and managing agents. We have introduced regulations to require the remaining 3,000 letting and property management agents to join one of three approved redress schemes from 1 October; made over £4 million available to 23 local authorities to help them tackle localised problems with the small minority in rogue landlords in their area – building on £2.6 million given to 9 local authorities to support enforcement against ‘Beds in Sheds’; and supported measures to tackle retaliatory evictions in private rented sector.</p><p> </p><p>However, we also need to avoid disproportionate red tape which would reduce supply, cut investment and ultimately force up rents. As an illustration, my written answer of 9 February 2015 to Question 222996, noted how rent controls would actually worsen property conditions for tenants by discouraging investment in new and existing rented accommodation.</p><p> </p><p>I would also add that, in the social sector, the number of non-Decent local authority dwellings across England has fallen from 291,600 in 1 April 2010 to 145,900 in April 2014, with a forecast of a further fall to 113,000 by April 2015.</p><p> </p><p> </p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 23/02/2015 17:44:36 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 44033 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

178092

registered interest
date	05/02/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many homes in the private rented sector reach energy-efficiency standard (a) A, (b) B, (c) C, (d) D, (e) E, (f) F and (g) G.
tabling member constituency	Bishop Auckland
tabling member printed	Helen Goodman
uin	223555
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 23/02/2015 answer text <p>The English Housing Survey 2012-2013 Chapter 1, Annex Table 1.21 provides the following details for properties in the private rented sector and respective Energy Performance of Buildings Energy Rating Bands.</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><table><tbody><tr><td><p><strong>Energy Efficiency Rating Band</strong></p></td><td><p><strong>Private Rented Properties</strong></p><p><strong>(thousands)</strong></p></td></tr><tr><td><p>A or B</p></td><td><p>39</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>C</p></td><td><p>777</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>D</p></td><td><p>1,901</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>E</p></td><td><p>1,010</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>F</p></td><td><p>288</p></td></tr><tr><td><p>G</p></td><td><p>102</p></td></tr><tr><td><p><strong>Total</strong></p></td><td><p>4,119</p></td></tr></tbody></table><p> </p><p>The Government is doing a great deal of work to improve the energy performance of buildings, not just privately rented properties but across all sectors. This work includes:</p><p> </p><ul><li>Schemes like ECO, Cashback, Green Deal finance and the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund through which 1,255,000 energy efficiency measures were installed in around 1,021,000 properties to the end of November 2014.</li></ul><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>Making significant progress to delivering our commitment to ensure new homes will be zero carbon from 2016 onwards, including, strengthening energy performance requirements in Part L of the Building Regulations;</li></ul> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 23/02/2015 17:40:54 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 44037 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	1484 label Biography information for Helen Goodman

176356

registered interest
date	28/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 27 January 2015, to the hon. Member for Wolverhampton North East to Question 220713, what recent estimate he has made of the number of people residing in outbuildings in the UK.
tabling member constituency	Vale of Clwyd
tabling member printed	Chris Ruane
uin	222609
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/02/2015 answer text <p>This information is not held centrally. It is for local authorities to use their wide range of legal powers to take action against illegal outbuildings.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 05/02/2015 16:15:10 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	534 label Biography information for Chris Ruane

173659

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how much of the funding allocated to tackle beds in sheds has been (a) allocated and (b) spent to date.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton North East
tabling member printed	Emma Reynolds
uin	220713
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2015 answer text <p>The Beds in Sheds Taskforce was a specific initiative in 2012 to 2013, to hold a set of summits to bring together councils and central government to ascertain best practice and barriers to be removed to help ensure co-ordinated action against illegal outbuildings.</p><p> </p><p>Summits took place on 27 November 2012, 30 April 2013 and 1 July 2013. It was not an ongoing working group.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2013, £2.6 million was subsequently allocated to nine local authorities to deal with the mainly London-based problem of beds in sheds, with a further £4.1 million of targeted funding to 23 local authorities in December 2013 to tackle rogue landlord behaviour (including beds in sheds).</p><p> </p><p>Thanks to the lessons learnt and best practice adopted from these meetings in 2012 to 2013, we estimate there have been:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>2,500 streets surveyed</li><li>30,000 inspections</li><li>1,100 raids</li><li>2,800 landlords facing prosecution</li><li>530 buildings prohibited, and</li><li>145 sheds demolished.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Following our 2012 publication, we will in due course be publishing refreshed guidance to local authorities on tackling beds in sheds and rogue landlords.</p><p> </p><p>The Immigration Act 2014 contains a raft of measures which puts the law firmly on the side of those who respect it, not those who break it, by:</p><p> </p><ul><li>stopping migrants using public services to which they are not entitled;</li><li>reducing the pull factors which encourage people to come to the UK for the wrong reasons; and,</li><li>making it easier to remove people who should not be here.</li></ul> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 220714 question first answered 27/01/2015 17:12:40 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 39123 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds

173660

registered interest
date	14/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, how many times the beds in sheds taskforce has met since its inception; and on what dates.
tabling member constituency	Wolverhampton North East
tabling member printed	Emma Reynolds
uin	220714
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 27/01/2015 answer text <p>The Beds in Sheds Taskforce was a specific initiative in 2012 to 2013, to hold a set of summits to bring together councils and central government to ascertain best practice and barriers to be removed to help ensure co-ordinated action against illegal outbuildings.</p><p> </p><p>Summits took place on 27 November 2012, 30 April 2013 and 1 July 2013. It was not an ongoing working group.</p><p> </p><p>In July 2013, £2.6 million was subsequently allocated to nine local authorities to deal with the mainly London-based problem of beds in sheds, with a further £4.1 million of targeted funding to 23 local authorities in December 2013 to tackle rogue landlord behaviour (including beds in sheds).</p><p> </p><p>Thanks to the lessons learnt and best practice adopted from these meetings in 2012 to 2013, we estimate there have been:</p><p> </p><p> </p><p> </p><ul><li>2,500 streets surveyed</li><li>30,000 inspections</li><li>1,100 raids</li><li>2,800 landlords facing prosecution</li><li>530 buildings prohibited, and</li><li>145 sheds demolished.</li></ul><p> </p><p>Following our 2012 publication, we will in due course be publishing refreshed guidance to local authorities on tackling beds in sheds and rogue landlords.</p><p> </p><p>The Immigration Act 2014 contains a raft of measures which puts the law firmly on the side of those who respect it, not those who break it, by:</p><p> </p><ul><li>stopping migrants using public services to which they are not entitled;</li><li>reducing the pull factors which encourage people to come to the UK for the wrong reasons; and,</li><li>making it easier to remove people who should not be here.</li></ul> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis grouped question UIN 220713 question first answered 27/01/2015 17:12:40 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis previous answer version 39125 answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	4077 label Biography information for Emma Reynolds

171919

registered interest
date	05/01/2015
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 14 October 2014 to Question 209508, when he plans to publish his Department's response to the consultation on the Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector.
tabling member constituency	Cities of London and Westminster
tabling member printed	Mark Field
uin	219700
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 12/01/2015 answer text <p>We aim to publish the Government's response in due course.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 12/01/2015 15:41:20 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	1405 label Biography information for Mark Field

171530

registered interest
date	18/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, pursuant to his Answer of 16 December 2014 to Question 218185, if he will undertake an assessment of (a) how many and (b) what proportion of tenants in the private rented sector have (i) asked for and (ii) been granted the model agreement for shorthold assured tenancy since that model agreement was published by the Government.
tabling member constituency	Leeds Central
tabling member printed	Hilary Benn
uin	219453
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 05/01/2015 answer text <p>The Government is keen to monitor take-up of the Model Tenancy and is examining the options for assessing this.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 05/01/2015 16:00:11 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	413 label Biography information for Hilary Benn

169753

registered interest
date	11/12/2014
answering body	Department for Communities and Local Government
answering dept id	7
answering dept short name	Communities and Local Government
answering dept sort name	Communities and Local Government
hansard heading	Private Rented Housing
house id	1
legislature	25259 pref label House of Commons
question text	To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, when he expects to publish (a) his Department's conclusions on the Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector and (b) the summary of the views expressed in response to that consultation.
tabling member constituency	Greenwich and Woolwich
tabling member printed	Mr Nick Raynsford
uin	218368
answer	answer is ministerial correction date of answer 16/12/2014 answer text <p>The Department published a discussion document earlier this year, <em>Review of Property Conditions in the Private Rented Sector</em>, which invited views on what more could be done to improve property conditions and tackle rogue landlords. An announcement on the outcome of the consultation will be made in the New Year.</p> answering member constituency Great Yarmouth answering member printed Brandon Lewis question first answered 16/12/2014 16:47:09 answering member 4009 label Biography information for Sir Brandon Lewis
tabling member	171 label Biography information for Mr Nick Raynsford