§ 28. Mr. Barnesasked the Minister of Housing and Local Government if he will introduce legislation to enable tenants of private furnished accommodation to obtain a greater degree of security of tenure than they can at present.
§ Mr. MacCollThe Rent Act, 1965, increased from three to six months the period of security which rent tribunals are empowered to grant at any one time, and this may be further extended as necessary. This is certainly one of the points which could be considered in connection with any further legislation.
§ Mr. BarnesDoes my hon. Friend not agree that the recent Shelter Report bears out the dilemma which many furnished tenants paying high rents face, in that if they go to their Rent Tribunal they provoke the landlord to take a course of action which, six or nine months later, leads to their eviction? Cannot he find a way of enabling these tenants to get fair rents without jeopardising their security of tenure?
§ Mr. MacCollThe difficulty with furnished tenants is that we have to hold a balance between the point made by my hon. Friend and the problem of maintaining a supply of furnished lettings, where people are brought into close personal contact with their landlords.