Clause 26 - Tenant fees

Part of Renters’ Rights Bill – in a Public Bill Committee at 3:30 pm on 29 October 2024.

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Photo of David Simmonds David Simmonds Opposition Whip (Commons), Shadow Parliamentary Under Secretary (Housing, Communities and Local Government) 3:30, 29 October 2024

I would be grateful if the Minister shared the Government’s thinking on the interaction between this issue of liability for council tax and the legal duties on local authorities to collect it, where they have an obligation to ensure that, as part of the efficient delivery of public services, they maximise the level of council tax collected. I understand the purpose of what the Minister has just described. I would try to ensure that, in situations where there may be an end to the tenancy, we do not create a situation both where the liability is difficult to assign and there is potentially an issue of who needs to be pursued for that council tax. Clearly, it is important to ensure that local authorities with a separate set of legal obligations in that respect are fully sighted on what the impact of this may be, and on the performance of their duties.

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