Organisations positively note that most of the concerns they raised regarding the Bill amending the Private Residential Leases Act have now been addressed following agreement in the Parliamentary Committee between the Government and the Opposition.
In February, the organisations had sounded the alarm on several anti-tenant amendments within this Bill that would have exacerbated an already dire situation for the most vulnerable in society. For example, in addition to the precarity enforced by the current short-term contracts, tenants would also have been forced to stay for the duration of the whole contract period, losing the opportunity to find better properties or escaping abusive landlords.
Solidarjetà, Moviment Graffitti and Malta Tenant Support – with the support of several organisations working in the social field – then presented counterproposals to the Bill. The majority of these counterproposals have been accepted by the Government and the Opposition, including the removal of the draconian clause that would have removed every flexibility to tenants in finding alternative accommodation during the last six months of a one-year contract.
The modified Bill will still introduce much-needed standards within the sector aimed at curbing overcrowding, a measure which the organisations welcome. Landlords will now be limited to a renting their property to a maximum of two tenants per bedroom.
The organisations would like to thank the Minister for Social Accommodation, as well as the Opposition members on the Parliamentary Committee, for listening to their concerns and finding a way forward that does not penalise the most vulnerable in society.
The organisations look forward to further discussions aimed at improving the current legal framework in order to achieve a more stable, regulated and just renting model.
Organisations:
Solidarjetà
Moviment Graffitti
Malta Tenant Support
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Għaqdiet jilqgħu l-bidliet fl-abbozz ta’ liġi li jemenda l-Att dwar il-Kirjiet Residenzjali Privati
Għaqdiet soċjali jinsabu sodisfatti li ħafna mill-punti li qajmu dwar l-abbozz ta’ liġi li jemenda l-Att dwar il-Kirjiet Residenzjali Privati issa ġew indirizzati wara qbil fil-Kumitat Parlamentari bejn il-Gvern u l-Oppożizzjoni.
Fi Frar, l-għaqdiet kienu esprimew tħassib serju dwar diversi emendi f’dan l-abbozz ta’ liġi li jaħdmu kontra l-kerrejja. Dawn kienu se jaggravaw sitwazzjoni li diġà hi mill-agħar għall-aktar persuni vulnerabbli fis-soċjetà. Pereżempju, minbarra l-prekarjetà li teżisti sforz il-kuntratti għal żmien qasir, dawk li jikru kien se jkollhom jibqgħu fl-istess post għall-perjodu kollu tal-kuntratt, u għalhekk jitilfu l-opportunità li jsibu proprjetajiet aħjar jew jaħarbu minn sidien abbużivi.
Solidarjetà, Moviment Graffitti u Malta Tenant Support – bl-appoġġ ta’ diversi għaqdiet li jaħdmu fil-qasam soċjali – kienu ppreżentaw kontroproposti għall-abbozz ta’ liġi. Il-maġġoranza ta’ dawn il-kontroproposti ġew aċċettati mill-Gvern u l-Oppożizzjoni, fosthom it-tneħħija tal-klawsola drakonjana li kienet tneħħi kull flessibbiltà biex min jikri jsib akkomodazzjoni alternattiva matul l-aħħar sitt xhur ta’ kuntratt ta’ sena.
L-abbozz ta’ liġi emendat xorta se jintroduċi standards li huma meħtieġa ħafna fi ħdan is-settur, bl-għan li jitrażżan l-iffullar, miżura li l-organizzazzjonijiet qegħdin jilqgħu. Is-sidien issa mhux se jkunu jistgħu jikru kamra tas-sodda lil iktar minn żewġ persuni.
L-għaqdiet jixtiequ jirringrazzjaw lill-Ministru għall-Akkomodazzjoni Soċjali, kif ukoll lill-membri tal-Oppożizzjoni fil-Kumitat Parlamentari, talli semgħu t-tħassib tagħhom u sabu mod kif ma jippenalizzawx lil min hu l-aktar vulnerabbli fis-soċjetà.
L-organizzazzjonijiet jinsabu ħerqana aktar diskussjonijiet immirati lejn it-titjib tal-qafas legali attwali sabiex ikollna mudell ta’ kiri aktar stabbli, regolat u ġust.
Għaqdiet:
Solidarjetà
Moviment Graffitti
Malta Tenant Support
