Member

Amendment 165 seeks to reduce the letting and marketing restriction when the moving and selling possession grounds have been used. As will have become clear by now, the Government will have zero tolerance for any attempts by unscrupulous landlords to evade the new tenancy system. That is why the 12-month restricted period is so important. We will give local councils the power to issue fines to deter unscrupulous landlords from exploiting these grounds as a backdoor means of eviction. I accept that good landlords’ circumstances may change, but it is vital that the decision to evict a tenant is done when there is a clear reason. If a sale falls through, most landlords will continue their attempts to sell the property rather than fall back on another tenancy—they may even reduce the price, as the noble Baroness, Lady Thornhill, said. The original tenant is after all losing a home and that decision cannot be made without good reason or on the basis of a fair-weather decision to sell or test the market. As with other similar amendments, I believe that shortening this time would undermine our efforts to protect tenants.