Member

Removing fixed terms will also mean that the tenancy system finally reflects the unpredictability of individuals’ lives. The noble Baroness, Lady Scott, talked about this. I agree with her diagnosis of what is happening; I do not agree with her solution. Despite our best intentions, life does not conform to year-long periods of certainty. It can, as we all know too well, change overnight. Relationships break down, people move jobs, and difficult circumstances can mean people must return home. It is fundamentally wrong that we require tenants to pay rent, come what may, simply to deliver a guaranteed return on an investment. Tenants should not have to choose between financial ruin and living where they need to.