Fitness for Human Habitation Bill will give existing tenants 'greater confidence' - Nationwide
The Fitness for Human Habitation Bill is a crucial opportunity to ensure that all properties that are let to tenants are fit for human habitation at the beginning of the tenancy, and remain so throughout, says Nationwide.
Nationwide welcomes the proposals in the Fitness for Human Habitation Bill as an important step in the drive to improve the quality of homes in the private rented sector.
While we already enforce minimum property standards as an integral part of each new buy to let lending decision, we believe the Bill will give existing tenants greater confidence in the actions open to them if their rental property is substandard and will also ensure landlords clearly understand their responsibilities in addressing those issues.
According to Shelter one in four children now grow up in a privately rented home up from just one in ten a decade ago. While the quality of properties has improved over the same period, research suggests there may be more than a quarter that still do not meet current decent home standards, leaving many tenants in unhealthy or unsafe conditions. In this day and age that is unacceptable.
Nationwide wants to ensure everyone has a decent place, fit to call home – whether owned or rented. It reflects the fact that we represent both tenants and landlords. We believe that by educating and supporting both tenants and landlords to understand and meet their responsibilities we can improve renting for everyone – that’s modern mutuality in action
