Rent Act, 1955

HC Deb 20 February 1968 vol 759 c215

35. Mr. Allaun

asked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will seek to amend the Rent Act, 1955, to make it a criminal offence for landlords to charge new tenants more than the previous controlled rent.

Mr. MacColl

My right hon. Friend has no proposals for altering the provisions of the Act, which enables either party in a regulated tenancy to apply for the registration of a fair rent, which will be the maximum legally recoverable.

Mr. Allaun

Does my hon. Friend appreciate that new tenants are usually unaware of the previous controlled rents paid and have great difficulty in ascertaining what they were?

Mr. MacColl

If there has been a previous regulated rent it is an offence to give false information about it.