Clause 82 - Offences in relation to licensing of houses
Housing Bill
3:30 pm
Mr Robert Syms (Poole, Conservative)
Amendments Nos. 299 and 300 have been tabled because of the concern of the Council of Mortgage Lenders and other lenders that when taking over a property, or even several properties from one owner, they may in the event of his defaulting on payment end up being prosecuted because, almost inevitably, someone who gets into financial mess may also be in a mess in their other affairs.
We are looking to the Minister to reassure the various building societies, banks and other lenders that the Bill is sufficiently flexible, so that if they are in possession of a property in those extraordinary circumstances they will not face the sanctions of the law—or at least not for a period—and thus will have time to put their affairs in order. The general concern among mortgage lenders is that unless it is made clear, some of them might be tempted not to loan money to people in that sector—and we are anxious that there should be a decent supply of private rented property. I am looking for assurances from the Minister.