Member

I thank my noble friend Lady Kennedy for her helpful engagement on this and the very useful discussion we had. As she knows, I am very sympathetic to the intentions of her amendment. Currently, illegal eviction and harassment too often go unpunished, as we have heard from my noble friend and other noble Lords, and there are too few rent repayment orders for these offences. However, I have several concerns. Rent repayment orders are effective because they provide a significant financial deterrent to landlords committing certain offences, and an incentive for tenants to take action when their landlord breaks the law. Lowering the standard of proof could distort the clear link between the severity of the offence and the scale of the penalty. This could lead to inconsistency and unpredictability in awards and decisions, undermining the regime’s credibility as a tool for both punishment and deterrence.