EVESHAM’s MP has lent his support to a Parliamentary bill to offer greater protection to tenants from rogue landlords.
Nigel Huddleston has backed Labour MP Karen Buck’s Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation and Liability for Housing Standards) Bill.
The bill has already won the support of Government and members of all political parties and aims to crackdown on hazardous living conditions by giving tenants the power to take their landlords to court over breaches of contract.
Currently, tenants have to rely on their local authority to serve an enforcement notice against the landlord and have no power to take action themselves.
“I commend my Labour colleague Karen Buck and the Government for working together in bringing this bill’s important measures to the house and working towards a change in the law that will empower and protect tenants in rented properties,” he said.
“During the debate I praised the bill for shifting the onus of responsibility for making sure rented homes are fit for habitation more towards the landlord.
“Landlords will have to be far more pro-active in making sure homes are adequate as opposed to reacting to tenants requests for repairs and maintenance, as has historically often been the case.”
Representatives from housing charity Shelter were in Parliament as the bill received its second reading in the House of Commons.
Mr Huddleston was among a number of MPs who joined the charity in the historic Westminster Hall in the Palace of Westminster to publicly show their support,
“I am delighted to have seen the cross party work that has gone towards the bill, something which shows the Government wanst to address problems in the housing market in as effective and non-political a way as possible.
“I hope this will provide better and safer living conditions for my constituents and people across the country.”
