Clause 5 - Houses in multiple occupation
Home Energy Conservation Bill
4:30 pm
Mr John Baron (Billericay, Conservative)
The hon. Gentleman has, to put it mildly, misinterpreted my comments.
With regard to the composition of the private rented sector, the point that I made is that the vast majority of landlords are small landlords who own merely one or two properties. They are not quasi-corporate investors who own large swathes of property, or entire streets.
With regard to the licensing of HMOs in their present definition, my point is that councils and local authorities have plenty of opportunity to put right what is wrong with ''slum landlords''. The change of definition that is envisaged in the Bill as it stands, and in new clause 7, will encompass most, if not all, of the private rented sector. That will cause great inconvenience to landlords, and it will, perhaps, persuade them not to stay in the market, as has been the case in Scotland.
I am not against the licensing of HMOs in their present definition. On the contrary, I have a greater desire than most people to drive out slum landlords. However, the change in the definition of an HMO will suddenly bring into its ambit most of the private rented sector, and that would not be for the good of tenants.