Member

I turn now to Amendment 237 tabled by my noble friend Lord Hacking. As I have already set out, the Bill will make it a legal requirement for landlords to register on the database to gain possession of their property. However, possession grounds must be fair in supporting local communities too. Communities must be protected from the severe impact of anti-social behaviour, and I agree with everything that the noble Baroness, Lady Scott, said on this matter. For this reason, we have decided to exempt cases of anti-social behaviour from the requirement for landlords to have registered on the database before taking possession of a property. Amendment 237 would risk punishing innocent neighbours who have to deal with the reality of anti-social behaviour on their doorstep for a landlord’s poor practice. It is therefore appropriate to retain these grounds for possession even where a landlord has not registered on the database.