To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, what steps his Department is taking to (a) improve housing standards for older people living in the rental sector and (b) ensure the adequacy of that housing.
Answered on
9 July 2019
Safe and secure housing is a top priority for Government, and older tenants will benefit from recent legislation to bring about a new, fairer deal for both tenants and landlords as we strengthen all tenants' rights. This includes the Homes (Fitness for Human Habitation) Act, which complements existing enforcement activity by empowering all tenants to hold their landlords to account if they fail to provide and maintain quality accommodation, and the extension to mandatory licensing of high-risk houses in multiple occupation, bringing more properties into scope than ever before, while also introducing minimum room sizes.