SECURITY AND RENT LEVELS FOR PRIVATE RENTED TENANTS

That this House notes that nine million people in England rent privately and that private renting is becoming the new norm; further notes that in Brighton, Pavilion constituency the private rented sector (PRS) is roughly double the national average, accounting for 32.7 per cent of households at the 2011 Census; recognises that renting at extortionate rates is often the only choice for people on low incomes, for young families and for working people on average incomes; acknowledges the many good landlords, but condemns rogue landlords who fail to undertake basic maintenance or repairs, leaving many tenants in expensive substandard housing; believes that the norm of short-term contracts leaves PRS tenants without security in their homes, at risk of eviction and of unfair rent increases; further notes that this volatility is particularly harmful for families with children who often have to move schools as a result; further believes that longer-term renting could work better for both renters and landlords; further as the latter could reduce void periods and expensive re-letting costs; calls for five-year stable rental contracts to be the default, to give good tenants the option to stay in their homes; and also further calls for action to tackle unaffordable rents, including smart rent controls, a radical increase in housing supply including building a mass programme of sustainable, energy-efficient council housing and the establishment of a living rent commission to explore ways of bringing rent levels in line with the basic cost of living.