Written questions by Carden.

Communities and Local Government, how many landlords exited the private rented sector in each year since 2020.

My Department does not hold the information requested.HMRC data on the number of landlords in England declaring income from rental property, which can be found on gov.uk here, shows overall stability in the number of landlords since 2019-20.

Communities and Local Government, whether he has assessed the potential merits of piloting rent stabilisation in areas with persistently high levels of rent inflation.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78220 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of private rent inflation on levels of homelessness and housing insecurity.

My Department has made no such specific assessment.

Communities and Local Government, what information his Department holds on the number of households spending more than 30% of income on rent in (a) Liverpool Walton constituency and (b) England.

My Department collects data on income in relation to housing costs through the English Housing Survey. This is published annually and can be found on gov.uk here. Due to methodological limitations, the English Housing Survey cannot show robust estimates at a sub-regional level.

Communities and Local Government, how long does his Department expect it to take for current housebuilding targets to exert downward pressure on rents.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41989 on 4 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of whether new housing supply alone can reduce rents in areas where private rent inflation exceeds wage growth.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 41989 on 4 April 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of rent control areas legislation in the Housing (Scotland) 2025 Act.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 78220 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment he has made of the potential implications for his policies of the lessons learned from the the use of temporary rent caps in Scotland during the covid-19 pandemic.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 78220 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of rent stabilisation systems in (a) Germany, (b) Austria, and (c) Canada in considering the potential merits of such measures in the UK.

I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to Questions UIN 78220 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment has been made of the effectiveness of existing protections against unreasonable rent increases.

At present, rent increases can happen through a variety of mechanisms including contractual rent review clauses and Section 13 notices. Tenants can currently only challenge a rent increase when it is carried out via Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Once commenced, our Renters’ Rights Act will ensure that all rent increases in the private rented sector will be made using the same process. Landlords will be able to increase rents once per year to the market rate – the price that would be achieved if the property was newly advertised to let. To do this, they will need to serve a simple ‘Section 13’ notice, setting out the new rent and giving at least 2 months’ notice of it taking effect. Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal.

Communities and Local Government, whether mechanisms exist to prevent excessive rent increases during tenancies.

At present, rent increases can happen through a variety of mechanisms including contractual rent review clauses and Section 13 notices. Tenants can currently only challenge a rent increase when it is carried out via Section 13 of the Housing Act 1988. Once commenced, our Renters’ Rights Act will ensure that all rent increases in the private rented sector will be made using the same process. Landlords will be able to increase rents once per year to the market rate – the price that would be achieved if the property was newly advertised to let. To do this, they will need to serve a simple ‘Section 13’ notice, setting out the new rent and giving at least 2 months’ notice of it taking effect. Tenants who receive a rent increase that they feel is not representative of the market value will be able to challenge the increase at the First-tier Tribunal.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has assessed the potential merits of restricting rent increases between tenancies in high-pressure areas.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78220 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, whether his Department has considered the potential merits of linking rent increases to changes in the level of Consumer Prices Index or wages.

I refer the hon. Member to the answer given to Question UIN 78220 on 20 October 2025.

Communities and Local Government, with reference to the proposed transfer of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) from the Health & Safety Executive (HSE) to the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, whether current staff will retain (a) access to the Civil Service Pension Scheme and (b) access to the Civil Service Compensation Scheme.

For those connected to the transition of the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) to a new body, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) understands this represents a significant change. The Department is committed to ensuring a smooth transition for all as valued colleagues. The Transfer of Undertaking Protections of Employment (TUPE) and Cabinet Office Statement of Practice (COSOP) provides protections to employee rights when they transfer. MHCLG is committed to protecting existing terms and conditions wherever we can and will continue to engage staff and Trade Unions ahead of the consultation process. We have heard what is important to colleagues and will prioritise, namely the Civil Service Pension Scheme and access to internal Civil Service jobs. The consultation process with trade unions will cover the full range of measures affected by the transfer. We expect this consolation to start in early January as agreed with HSE Trade Unions but are awaiting confirmation. Both HSE and the Department have extensive experience in managing transitions of this nature and will work closely together to ensure that all affected colleagues are fully supported throughout the process.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September to Question 75141 on Multiple Occupation, if his Department will undertake such an assessment.

My Department has no current plans to undertake such an assessment. We will keep the regulation of HMOs under review, including whether an assessment of trends in the level of HMOs and the potential impacts of these on local authorities is needed.

Communities and Local Government, what recent assessment her Department has made of (a) trends in the level of houses in multiple occupation and (b) the potential impact of those trends on local communities.

Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) can play an important part in the housing market, providing relatively low-cost accommodation for rent. Local planning authorities already have powers to limit the proliferation of Houses in Multiple Occupation (HMOs) through ‘Article 4’ directions. In addition to the mandatory licensing of large HMOs, local areas can also choose to require smaller HMOs to be licenced to ensure such properties are safe and well managed, and that the character of local communities are protected. Local authorities have robust powers to ensure landlords of HMOs comply with all relevant regulations. This includes powers to issue civil penalties, prosecute landlords and obtain banning orders. No recent assessments of the trends in the level of HMOs, or of the potential impacts of these trends on local communities, have been made. The Renters’ Rights Bill introduces reforms to improve the regulation of private rented sector properties, including HMOs, and drive-up standards within the sector. This includes a Decent Homes Standard and new enforcement powers for local authorities. My Department will continue to engage with local authorities on a range of local issues, including matters relating to HMOs and we will keep the regulation of HMOs under review.

Communities and Local Government, what assessment she has made of the potential implications for her Department's policies of Common Wealth's briefing, entitled Housing Coalitions of the Future, published on 18 January 2025.

The government has made no formal assessment of the potential implications for MHCLG policies of the briefing in question.

Communities and Local Government, pursuant to the Answer of 21 January 2025 to Question 24125 on Parish and Town Councils: Employers’ contributions, what discussions her Department is having with parish and town councils about these issues.

I refer my hon Friend to the answer given to Question UIN 27565 on 7 February 2025.

Communities and Local Government, if she will have discussions with the Electoral Commission on the potential implications for (a) her and (b) the Commission's policies of Transparency International's position paper entitled Cheques and balances: Countering the influence of big money in UK politics, published in December 2024.

Effective regulation and enforcement of political finance are crucial for maintaining public trust in our electoral systems. The Government is committed to strengthening our democracy and upholding the integrity of elections and, as stated in our manifesto, we intend to strengthen the rules around donations to political parties to protect our democracy. My department is working closely with the Electoral Commission on developing proposals to give effect to this commitment. We are also seeking, and remaining open to, evidence from key stakeholders, particularly in relation to threats to our democracy.

Communities and Local Government, how much her Department has spent on consultancy fees in each year since 2021.

The Government is committed to restoring the public finances and delivering value for the taxpayer.As part of this wider mission, the Government has pledged to reduce wasteful spend on non-essential and expensive consultants in order to save over £1.2 billion by 2026.Figures for consultancy spend are included each year in the Department's annual report. The corresponding figure for FY2024-25 is expected to be published by the end of July 2025.Details of contracts awarded valued at £10,000 (inc VAT) or more are published on: https://www.gov.uk/contracts-finder.