Second Senedd Committee in a week backs NRLA priorities
For the second time in less than a week, a Welsh parliamentary committee has made recommendations that chime with NRLA campaigns. NRLA Wales policy and public affairs officer Calum Davies explains more.
As part of its scrutiny work on the Renting Homes (Amendment) Bill that seeks to significantly alter the possession regime in Wales, the Senedd’s Legislation, Justice, and Constitution (LJC) Committee recommended the Welsh Government investigate “the need for a dedicated housing tribunal.”
It also noted the lack of data about the private rented sector (PRS) in Wales – “we make a general point of principle that the Minister’s evidence-base is weakened by the informality of the data and it is not good practice to rely on such evidence as grounds for changing primary legislation.” The Committee said the Welsh Government must engage with the PRS to address this.
The need to expand the evidence base for the Welsh PRS is an NRLA campaign that the Association said should be addressed through a Welsh Housing Survey.
In its report, the LGC Committee said the Minister gave an insufficient answer to questions regarding a landlord’s right to their property. Consequently, it has recommended she publish a full analysis of the impact of the Bill’s provisions on human rights.
The report is also notable for its comments surrounding the Welsh Government’s decision to amend the Renting Homes Act 2016 before it has been implemented and doing so years several years after it passed – “not only is this irregular but it does not represent good law-making.”
This comes only days after the Equality, Local Government, and Communities Committee published their own extensive report on the Bill, which itself recommended a number of NRLA proposals.
You can read the LJC Committee report here.
