§ Baroness Jegerasked Her Majesty's Government:
What is the present position of the order proposed to have been made under Section 31 of the Landlord and Tenant Act 1985 to forbid increases of more than 7.5 per cent (plus the Retail Price Index) being made by landlords in rents being paid by tenants with fair rent registrations under the Housing Act 1988. [HL1432]
§ The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions (Lord Whitty)The Court of Appeal ruled in a judgment handed down on 20 January that the Rent Acts (Maximum Fair Rent) Order 1999 isultra vires, unlawful and of no effect. The order has been quashed. The position is that fair rent registrations by rent officers and rent assessment committees will be dealt with in the way they were prior to the introduction of the order in February 1999.
We remain committed to protecting tenants who pay a fair rent against excessive increases. We have petitioned this House to grant leave to appeal the Court's decision.