Flexible Tenancies

EDM number 1803 in 2010-12, proposed by John Leech on 12/05/2011.
Categorised under the topic of Social rented housing.

That this House deplores the decline in the number of new lettings made by local authorities and registered social landlords from 423,000 in 1996-97 to 264,000 in 2008-09; notes the view of the Chartered Institute of Housing on the need for flexibility in the length of tenures so that more households in desperate need of a home will be offered one; believes this flexibility must be balanced with protections for tenants; welcomes plans by the Government to provide clear guidance to landlords on the types of tenures that they will offer; calls on the Government to direct the social housing regulator to set a tenancy standard making clear that older people and those with long-term illnesses and disabilities will continue to receive lifetime tenancies; urges that the tenancy standard stipulates that tenancies as short as two years will only be offered on an exceptional basis and that five years be the typical minimum tenancy term; further calls for the standard to stipulate that landlords' tenancy strategies should not provide perverse incentives discouraging tenants from increasing their income or encouraging them to exercise their right-to-buy; and further urges a tenancy standard that makes clear that when tenancies are due to expire tenants will in many cases have the option of renewing their tenancy if they wish, even if this ison different terms, or else are offered supported choices to improve their housing options.

This motion has been signed by a total of 11 MPs.