§ Ms Glenda JacksonTo ask the Secretary of State for the Environment, Transport and the Regions if he will introduce measures to restrict rent officers raising annual rents above those applied for by landlords. [126670]
§ Mr. Mullin[holding answer 20 June 2000]Rent officers are required to set fair rents based on market rents less any element resulting from scarcity in accordance with the Rent Act 1977 and case law. We do not intend to require rent officers to take into account the rent applied for by the landlord. However, the House of Lords has granted the Government provisional leave to appeal the decision of the Court of Appeal to quash the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order which we introduced in February 1999 to cap excessive increases in fair rents.