News from Southampton Labour

Denham calls on Coalition to protect tenants’ rights

John Denham today called upon the Government to retain the measures brought in by his former government department to protect tenants in Southampton from dodgy and absentee landlords. The Itchen MP warned that plans from the Coalition Government risked damaging the standard of private homes and the quality of life in their communities.

In the past few weeks the Government has announced it will sweep away key regulations introduced by the Labour Government to protect private tenants. These include a national register of landlords set up to allow tenants to make basic checks on their prospective landlords, and enable Southampton City Council to enforce letting rules more easily.

There are nearly 30,000 private tenants in Southampton, all of whom could be affected if regulations on their landlords are relaxed.

The Government also plans to remove laws which allowed councils to prevent the spread of Homes in Multiple Occupation and stop the damaging effects of absentee landlords. HMOs in high concentration can change the balance and nature of local communities when poorly managed. Legislation brought in by Labour gave councils the power to prevent the creation of new HMOs under planning laws and reign in the problems associated with absentee landlords.

Mr Denham said: “There are 9,650 private tenants in Southampton Itchen alone, all of whom stand to lose out from changes to landlord regulations. At the same time whole areas of Southampton could be harmed if the city council isn’t able to restrain the spread of HMOs.

“The government is taking a blindly swung axe to the regulations protecting private tenants. They should rethink their plans and retain the protection valued by private tenants.”

John Healey, Shadow Minister for Housing and Planning, added: “Thousands of people will be left at the mercy of the worst landlords, with less protection and fewer rights. Local residents who are worried by bed-sit barons taking over their area have had their protection stripped away by the Government.

“The Government is disgracefully doing the bidding of the landlords’ lobby, instead of standing by local residents and tenants.”

Other news from Southampton Labour

• Water bills hiked as Southampton Council and Southern Water waste public money - 2 February 2012
• Southampton Labour MPs urge constituents to claim free heating and insulation help - 1 February 2012
• Welfare changes hit poorest areas in Southampton hardest - 1 February 2012