Brighton Pavilion MP Caroline Lucas is supporting to a bill to protect tenants in privately rented homes.

Jeremy Corbyn’s Regulation of the Private Rented Sector Bill would introduce regulation of letting agents, protect tenants’ deposits, and require landlords not to discriminate against people on benefits. Caroline is co-sponsor of the Bill, which had its first reading in the House of Commons this week.

Last year she published her own Private Member’s Bill to require local authorities to operate landlord accreditation schemes.

Caroline Lucas, MP for Brighton Pavilion said:

“Around a quarter of all housing in Brighton is in the private rental sector – that’s almost double the national average.   Growing numbers of people have to rent, and they shouldn’t have to put up with damp, leaky homes, or worry about sudden rent increases when their short-term tenancies expire.

“Nationally, a third of people in rented homes are families with children.  They are hit particularly hard by the uncertainty that comes from an unstable market.  One in ten families in rental accommodation has had to change schools, with all the stress and disruption that can cause to children.

“Everyone has a right to adequate housing and we need radical reform to ensure all tenants are treated fairly. “

Lucas said Corbyn’s Bill would be more effective than Government plans, also announced this week, for a new redress scheme for letting agents:

“The Government’s plans for a redress scheme don’t go nearly far enough.   They seem to think that asking landlords nicely to treat tenants fairly will be enough.   A model tenancy agreement isn’t much use if landlords  can ignore it.”