HL Deb 25 March 1981 vol 418 cc1157-8
Baroness Dudley

My Lords, I beg leave to ask the Question which stands in my name on the Order Paper. Perhaps I should say that I have two flats which are now up to be sold.

The Question was as follows:

To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will consider introducing legislation to extend the present law enabling short-term leases of flats and houses to be granted without conferring on the tenant security of tenure after the expiry of the lease.

The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment (Lord Bellwin)

My Lords, the shorthold provisions of the Housing Act 1980, which came into force on 28th November, already allow this. Under shorthold, landlords have an absolute right to regain possession at the end of the fixed term.

Baroness Dudley

My Lords, while thanking the Minister for that reply, may I ask this Question: I should like to know whether any help can be given to people who bought their houses some time ago and hoped to retire to them and who now find themselves with sitting tenants paying rents so small that in some cases the repairs cost more than the rents?

Lord Bellwin

My Lords, we said in the manifesto that it was not the intention to make shorthold provisions retrospective, and I fear that we have to stay with that. I have great sympathy with the problem that my noble friend raises; but I see no way in which we can go back on that commitment.

The Earl of Onslow

My Lords, is my noble friend aware that I have been told that in Surrey the rent officer is working overtime to work out the fair rents under these shorthold tenancies, which not only shows that the demand is there—and it is a large demand—but also shows that there have been very satisfactory lets to the benefit of both sides?

Lord Bellwin

My Lords, I am grateful to my noble friend for his helpful comment. I know of the situation to which he refers.

Viscount St. Davids

My Lords, is the noble Lord aware that, although some such provisions as these shorthold tenancies are indeed necessary to put right many things which were wrong with the previous arrangements, many solicitors are advising their clients against parting with their properties on short-hold tenancies as there are in fact a great number of snags? Is there any hope that some amendments can be made to the arrangement so that these tenancies may become more popular?

Lord Bellwin

My Lords, I am not aware of the snags to which the noble Viscount refers. Possibly the greatest concern of those who are contemplating making this kind of accommodation available is the fact that the Labour Party have said that they will do away with this form of tenancy. This is understandably a matter of concern for those who would make such accommodation available. It is very sad because it only denies rented accommodation to such people. Having said that, I think that there is also the whole matter of the fair rent regulations and laws that exist at the present time. It is a matter which is of much concern, because if we do not make this kind of accommodation available, what will happen to the future of the private rented sector?

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