My Lords, I declare an interest as a councillor in the London Borough of Lewisham. Amendment 29 in my name and that of my noble friend Lord Beecham seeks to amend the Housing Act 1988 to make the minimum length of an assured shorthold tenancy granted on or after 1 April 2018 a fixed period of 36 months. Most assured shorthold tenancies usually last between six and 12 months at present. The contract says how much rent to pay, how long the tenancy lasts and who is responsible for the repairs. The landlord cannot increase the rent during the fixed term of the assured shorthold tenancy unless the contract sets that out. When the tenancy ends and the tenant decides they wish to sign up for further fixed period the rent can be increased in the new agreement.
Even an assured shorthold tenancy for one year is a relatively short time and this amendment seeks to give tenants a longer period to live in a property, enjoy more security and put down some proper roots. It is a longer period than at present but not excessively long. The private rented sector is increasing all the time, and providing more stability and a longer tenure for tenants must be right. We hear of “generation rent”—people not being able to afford to buy their own home and more people living in properties they have to move round from more regularly. That is not good for them or the wider community. It is not great for landlords either.
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As I said earlier, a greater proportion of people are living in the private rented sector. It is not only single people and couples but also people with children. People with children do not want to move round needlessly and have less certainty about their living arrangements, certainly with things such as their children’s schools. I am sure that noble Lords have seen the English housing survey for 2014-15 which showed that over the last 10 years the number of tenants in the private rented sector with dependent children had risen from 30% to 37%. I think that that trend will continue.
The amendment also allows tenants to give two months’ notice if they wish to move and leave the property. This is important as it does not hold people to a tenancy when they need more flexibility because their circumstances have changed. At the same time, it gives tenants more security in the length they can rent a particular property, subject to conforming to the other requirements of the contract they agree with the landlord. The rights of the landlord are not affected in any other way by this amendment. I will listen with interest to the Government’s response. I beg to move.