In Parliament I supported new tenancy laws to facilitate a bond roll-over system so that tenants don’t have to fork out new bond before they get their old one back. There are no details yet but I hope it is workable as moving involves significant expense that can cause financial hardship for many. However, I opposed other changes that remove succession arrangements for vulnerable children of ‘protected tenants’.

Protected tenants are covered by very old tenancy laws that prevent unfair rent hikes and no-grounds evictions because they have lived in the same home for decades. Homes are usually rundown and if their children live with their parent at the time of their death and are also on a pension, they currently inherit the protected tenancy status. Children of protected tenants are usually old – though not as old as their parents – and very poor, and without succession arrangements, they will likely be evicted and become homeless. I argued that the government should provide additional support to ensure they can receive social housing on eviction.